Sponsors (3)
The bill standardizes cost-based fees and speeds processing to increase predictability and encourage some broadband-friendly exceptions, but may raise fees for some applicants and create appropriation-related delays and administrative burdens that could slow implementation or reduce incentives for broader broadband deployment.
Applicants (especially small businesses and utilities) get predictable, uniform application fees tied to agencies' direct processing costs, reducing arbitrary charges and regulatory uncertainty.
Agencies may grant fee exceptions for public-benefit easements, leases, or broadband expansion projects, lowering costs and encouraging projects that expand internet access.
Collected fees are limited to covering direct processing costs and require appropriation authorization for use, reducing the risk that fees will be diverted to unrelated programs and protecting taxpayers.
Some applicants (notably small businesses and utilities) could face higher fees if agencies' measured direct processing costs exceed historically charged amounts.
Requiring congressional appropriation to spend collected fees could delay agencies' ability to use those funds, creating budget uncertainty, slower service delivery, and administrative delays for state and local governments.
Limiting fee exceptions to case-by-case determinations may reduce predictable, broad fee waivers for community broadband projects and weaken incentives for deployment in underserved areas.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires GSA to set a uniform, cost-based fee schedule for processing certain communications-related federal forms and directs agencies to adopt matching fees and limited exceptions.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Gary James Palmer · Last progress February 27, 2025
Directs the General Services Administration (GSA) to set a single, uniform, competitively neutral fee schedule for processing certain federal forms used when placing or modifying communications facilities on federal property or rights-of-way. Executive agencies must adopt matching fees and allow limited case-by-case exceptions; collected fees may be spent only as provided in advance by appropriations and the new schedule replaces other statutes' fees for the same forms. GSA must issue the schedule within 30 days of enactment and agencies must adopt corresponding regulations within 120 days after GSA sets the schedule.