[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 47 (Monday, March 16, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2511-H2513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPLOYING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH GREATER INTERNET TRANSACTIONS AND LEGACY
APPLICATIONS ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1665) to require the Department of the Interior and the
Department of Agriculture to establish online portals to accept,
process, and dispose of certain Form 299s, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1665
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Deploying Infrastructure
with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy Applications
Act'' or the ``DIGITAL Applications Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF ONLINE PORTALS TO ACCEPT, PROCESS,
AND DISPOSE OF CERTAIN FORM 299S.
(a) Establishment of Online Portals.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries concerned shall
each establish, with respect to the relevant covered
department, an online portal for the acceptance, processing,
and disposal of a Form 299 for communications use
authorizations.
(2) Notification.--Not later than 3 business days after the
date on which an online portal has been established by a
Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1), that Secretary shall
notify the Assistant Secretary of the establishment of such
portal.
(b) Availability of Online Portals.--The Assistant
Secretary shall publish on the website of the National
Telecommunications
[[Page H2512]]
and Information Administration a link to each online portal
established pursuant to subsection (a)(1).
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information.
(2) Communications facility.--The term ``communications
facility'' has the meaning given the term ``communications
facility installation'' in section 6409(d) of the Middle
Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C.
1455(d)).
(3) Communications use.--The term ``communications use''
means the placement and operation of a communications
facility.
(4) Communications use authorization.--The term
``communications use authorization'' means an easement,
right-of-way, lease, license, or other authorization--
(A) provided by the Secretary of the Interior or the
Secretary of Agriculture;
(B) to locate or modify a communications facility on
covered land; and
(C) for the primary purpose of authorizing the occupancy
and use of such covered land for communications use.
(5) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means--
(A) public lands; and
(B) National Forest System land.
(6) Form 299.--The term ``Form 299'' means the form
established under section 6409(b)(2)(A) of the Middle Class
Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C.
1455(b)(2)(A)), or any successor form.
(7) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest
System'' has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
(8) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the
meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).
(9) Relevant covered department.--The term ``relevant
covered department'' means--
(A) with respect to the Secretary of the Interior, the
Department of the Interior; and
(B) with respect to the Secretary of Agriculture, the
Department of Agriculture.
(10) Secretaries concerned.--The term ``Secretaries
concerned'' means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior; and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief
of the Forest Service.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms.
Elfreth) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 1665, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the DIGITAL
Applications Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Representative
Cammack.
This important legislation directs the Department of the Interior and
Department of Agriculture to establish online portals to accept,
process, and track applications to deploy broadband infrastructure on
Federal lands.
The United States faces a persistent digital divide, with tens of
millions of Americans still lacking access to basic broadband services.
Many of these Americans live in rural areas or on Tribal lands near
federally managed land.
For these communities, broadband isn't a luxury. It is essential
infrastructure. It means students can do their homework at home; small
businesses can reach customers and compete in the modern economy;
farmers and ranchers can use precision tools; and families can access
telehealth, emergency services, and basic information. Without reliable
internet, entire communities are left at a disadvantage.
In too many cases, the problem isn't a lack of interest from
providers but, rather, the Federal permitting process.
Today, broadband providers face a system that is slow, opaque, and
unpredictable. Applications can sit for months with little to no
communication. Providers have no idea where their applications stand,
whether more information is needed, or when a decision might come.
That uncertainty makes it harder to plan projects and invest
resources, ultimately delaying the delivery of internet access to the
communities that need it most.
This permitting morass is exactly how the Biden-Harris administration
wasted $42 billion in taxpayer funds to deploy broadband infrastructure
across the country and failed to connect a single household.
Throwing money at this problem is not the answer. We need commonsense
permitting reform. Representative Cammack's legislation offers a real,
straightforward solution to a discrete problem.
By creating online portals for broadband application, agencies can
bring transparency and accountability to the permitting process.
Applicants will be able to track their submissions, see where they are
in the review process, and understand exactly what is needed to move
forward.
This kind of transparency is a simple fix that can bring more
predictability to developers and help speed deployment. H.R. 1665 will
help build essential infrastructure faster, smarter, and with more
transparency.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this
bipartisan legislation, and I commend Representative Cammack for her
leadership on this effort.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Washington, DC, January 30, 2026.
Hon. Bruce Westerman,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Westerman: I write concerning H.R. 2294, To
reauthorize the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation
System Act of 2009, which the Committee on Natural Resources
ordered reported on July 23, 2025.
H.R. 2294 contains provisions within the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology's Rule X jurisdiction. As a
result of your having consulted with the Committee and to
expedite this bill for floor consideration, the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology will forego action on the
bill. This is being done based on our mutual understanding
that doing so will not diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology with respect
to the appointment of conferees, or to any future
jurisdictional claim of the subject matters contained in the
bill or similar legislation.
I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming
this understanding and would request that you include a copy
of this letter and your response in the Committee Report and
in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of
this bill. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Brian Babin, D.D.S.,
Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, January 30, 2026.
Hon. Brian Babin,
Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Babin: I write regarding H.R. 2294, To
reauthorize the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation
System Act of 2009, which was ordered reported by the
Committee on Natural Resources on July 23, 2025.
I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall
within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology and appreciate your willingness to forgo
further consideration of the bill. I acknowledge that the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will not formally
consider H.R. 2294 and agree that the inaction of your
Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any
jurisdiction over the subject matter contained therein.
I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in
the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the
bill and will include such letters in the committee report on
H.R. 2294. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this
legislation.
Sincerely,
Bruce Westerman,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.
{time} 1630
Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1665, the DIGITAL
Applications Act, sponsored by my colleagues, Representative Cammack
and Representative Matsui, which would promote accessibility and
transparency in the permitting process for communications use
authorizations.
While many agencies are working to modernize their systems,
application processes too often continue to rely on
[[Page H2513]]
snail mail or email, which can lead to delays and challenges in
submitting and processing.
H.R. 1665 complements ongoing agency efforts to modernize the Federal
permitting system by requiring the Department of the Interior and the
U.S. Forest Service to establish online portals for processing
applications to locate or modify communications or broadband equipment
and infrastructure on Federal lands.
This is a bipartisan solution to address delays in the permitting
process appropriately, while also supporting expanded digital
connectivity across our public lands in the year 2026.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Representatives for bringing this
commonsense solution. It is about time we bring internet access to
every corner of our country. I also thank the bill's sponsor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 1665, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Mrs. Cammack), the lead sponsor of the bill.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support.
Today, I rise in support of H.R. 1665, the DIGITAL Applications Act,
legislation that I introduced to modernize how our Federal agencies
process applications for communications infrastructure on Federal
lands.
At its core, this bill is about something very simple: bringing
outdated government processes into the digital age.
Today, companies seeking to deploy broadband infrastructure on
Federal lands must often submit a form 299 to the Department of the
Interior or the Department of Agriculture to obtain authorization for
communication facilities, such as towers or related equipment. These
authorizations can take the form of easements, right-of-ways, leases,
or licenses.
Despite the importance of these projects, particularly when
connectivity is needed more than ever, and public safety is a priority,
the application process itself is far too paper-based, fragmented, and
slow. In 2026, that just doesn't make sense.
The DIGITAL Applications Act fixes that by requiring the Department
of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to establish online
portals to accept, process, and manage these forms. These portals will
allow applicants to submit materials electronically, track the
progress, and improve coordination across agencies. It is a
straightforward reform, but one with real impact.
For communities across the country, especially rural communities like
the ones I represent in Florida, delays in permitting infrastructure
can mean delays in access, weaker wireless coverage, and slower
deployment of technologies that are critical to support economic growth
and public safety.
When we talk about closing the digital divide, it is not just about
funding new networks. It is also about removing unnecessary red tape
and bureaucratic barriers that slow down this progress.
This bill does exactly that. By digitizing the application process,
we can reduce these administrative delays, increase transparency, and
provide applicants with a clear path forward when seeking a path to
build infrastructure on these lands.
The DIGITAL Applications Act also reflects strong bipartisan
cooperation, and I thank my colleague, Representative Matsui, for
working so hard with me on this to advance a commonsense solution.
At a time when Americans expect government to operate with the same
efficiency they experience in the private sector, modernizing outdated
systems should be something that we can all agree on.
This bill improves government operations, supports broadband, and
helps ensure that our communications infrastructure keeps pace with the
needs of the 21st century.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the DIGITAL
Applications Act.
Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I once again thank Representative Cammack for her
leadership on the DIGITAL Applications Act. This legislation will help
get rural America online to support students, small businesses,
farmers, ranchers, and families. It will help constituents in my home
State of Arkansas, as well as Americans across the country, who live in
remote areas near Federal lands.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1665,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1665.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________