Last progress March 24, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on March 24, 2025 by Buddy Carter
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill would speed up upgrades to existing wireless sites by skipping certain federal reviews. For “eligible facilities requests” under current wireless law, it says federal permits and approvals would not count as actions that trigger National Environmental Policy Act reviews or National Historic Preservation Act reviews. In short, many add‑ons or changes to wireless equipment could move forward without those two types of federal environmental or historic checks.
The bill also clarifies that “federal authorization” includes any permits, certifications, opinions, or other approvals needed under federal law for these requests. This aims to make it faster and simpler to expand wireless service, like broadband and 5G, but it also means fewer opportunities for environmental or historic concerns to be reviewed at the federal level.