[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1049 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1049
To require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and
Information to establish an interagency strike force to increase
prioritization by the Department of the Interior and Department of
Agriculture by senior management of the Department of the Interior and
Department of Agriculture, or an organizational unit of reviews for
communications use authorizations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 15, 2021
Mr. Duncan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on
Natural Resources, and Agriculture, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and
Information to establish an interagency strike force to increase
prioritization by the Department of the Interior and Department of
Agriculture by senior management of the Department of the Interior and
Department of Agriculture, or an organizational unit of reviews for
communications use authorizations.
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 ``Expediting Federal Broadband
Deployment Reviews Act''.
SEC. 2. STRIKE FORCE.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives;
(B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House
of Representatives;
(C) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate; and
(D) the Committee on Environment and Public Works
of the Senate.
(2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information.
(3) Communications facility.--The term ``communications
facility'' includes--
(A) any infrastructure, including any transmitting
device, tower, or support structure, and any equipment,
switches, wiring, cabling, power sources, shelters, or
cabinets, associated with the licensed or permitted
unlicensed wireless or wireline transmission of
writings, signs, signals, data, images, pictures, and
sounds of all kinds; and
(B) any antenna or apparatus that--
(i) is designed for the purpose of emitting
radio frequency;
(ii) is designed to be operated, or is
operating, from a fixed location pursuant to
authorization by the Commission or is using
duly authorized devices that do not require
individual licenses; and
(iii) is added to a tower, building, or
other structure.
(4) Communications use.--The term ``communications use''
means the placement and operation of a communications facility.
(5) Communications use authorization.--The term
``communications use authorization'' means an easement, right-
of-way, lease, license, or other authorization to locate or
modify a communications facility on covered land by the
Department concerned for the primary purpose of authorizing the
occupancy and use of the covered land for communications use.
(6) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means--
(A) public land administered by the Secretary of
the Interior; and
(B) National Forest System land.
(7) Department concerned.--The term ``Department
concerned'' means the Department of the Interior or the
Department of Agriculture.
(8) Organization unit.--The term ``organizational unit''
means--
(A) with respect to public land administered by the
Secretary of the Interior--
(i) a State office;
(ii) a district office; or
(iii) a field office; and
(B) within the Forest Service--
(i) a regional office;
(ii) the headquarters;
(iii) a management unit; or
(iv) a ranger district office.
(9) Strike force.--The term ``Strike Force'' means the
interagency strike force established in subsection (b)(1).
(b) Strike Force.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall
establish an interagency strike force to increase
prioritization by the Department concerned, senior management
of the Department concerned, or an organizational unit of
reviews for communications use authorizations.
(2) Duties.--In carrying out the prioritization under
paragraph (1), the Strike Force shall--
(A) conduct periodic calls between members of the
Strike Force relating to requests for communications
use authorizations; and
(B) monitor and facilitate accountability of the
Department concerned and organizational units to meet
objective and reasonable goals for the review of
requests for communications use authorizations.
(3) Members.--The Strike Force shall be composed of such
representatives of Departments concerned as the Assistant
Secretary considers appropriate, in addition to--
(A) the Assistant Secretary;
(B) a representative of the Department concerned;
(C) senior management of the Department concerned;
and
(D) the head of each organizational unit.
(4) Report to congress.--Not later than 270 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Strike Force shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
effectiveness of the Strike Force in increasing the
prioritization of reviews for communications use authorization
requests.
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