H.R. 5419
119th CONGRESS 1st Session
To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a plan for ensuring timely review of communications use authorizations, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · September 17, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Kean
Table of contents
SEC. 1. Short title
- This Act may be cited as the Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act.
SEC. 2. Ensuring timely review of communications use authorizations
- (a) Study and report
- (1) Study
- The Secretaries concerned shall each conduct, with respect to the relevant covered department, a study to determine—
- if there are programmatic or administrative barriers to the timely review of requests for communications use authorizations;
- if there are revisions to rules or regulations that could be implemented to improve efficiency with respect to reviewing requests for communications use authorizations; and
- if there are processes for prioritizing the review of requests for communications use authorizations.
- The Secretaries concerned shall each conduct, with respect to the relevant covered department, a study to determine—
- (2) Report
- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries concerned shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that—
- describes the results of the studies conducted under paragraph (1), including any barriers, revisions, or processes identified under subparagraphs (A) through (C) of such paragraph; and
- includes a plan for providing, with respect to the organizational units of the relevant covered departments, the staffing necessary to ensure timely review of communications use authorizations.
- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries concerned shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that—
- (1) Study
- (b) Definitions
- In this section:
- The term
appropriate congressional committeesmeans— - The term
communications facility,communications facility installationhas the meaning given the term in section 6409(d) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (). 47 U.S.C. 1455(d) - The term
communications usemeans the placement and operation of a communications facility. - The term
communications use authorizationmeans an easement, right-of-way, lease, license, or other authorization— - The term
covered landmeans— - The term
National Forest Systemhas 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) - The term
organizational unitmeans— - The term
public landshas the meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (). 43 U.S.C. 1702 - The term
relevant covered departmentmeans— - The term
Secretaries concernedmeans—
- The term
- In this section: