Wireless Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act of 2025

House Votes

This bill speeds up how cities and counties handle requests to upgrade existing cell towers and base stations. If a local government doesn’t approve or clearly deny a qualifying request within 60 days, the request is automatically approved. The 60-day clock can pause if the city quickly tells the applicant, in writing, exactly what’s missing and cites its rules. Cities can’t make applicants go through extra “pre-application” steps. They may only ask for information that’s clearly needed to check if the request qualifies. Applicants can take the issue to federal court for a faster decision if needed.

The bill covers upgrades that don’t substantially change the size of the structure, like adding or swapping equipment, or adding gear that makes the network more reliable and safer (for example, backup power or hardening against outages). The FCC must write rules to carry this out within 180 days, and the new process applies to requests filed on or after the law takes effect.

Key points

• Who is affected: Wireless providers and tower owners; city and county permitting offices; residents who rely on cell service and public safety networks.
• What changes: 60-day “deemed approved” timeline; clear limits on what documents cities can require; no pre-application hurdles; applicants can get expedited review in federal court.
• When: FCC must issue rules within 180 days of the law taking effect; the new rules apply to requests submitted on or after that date.