[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10180 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10180

  To amend the National Marine Sanctuary Act to prohibit requiring an 
authorization for the installation, operation, maintenance, repair, or 
recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary 
  if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or 
                             State agency.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2024

Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Dunn of Florida, Mr. Bilirakis, 
   Mr. Pfluger, Mrs. Cammack, and Mr. Weber of Texas) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the National Marine Sanctuary Act to prohibit requiring an 
authorization for the installation, operation, maintenance, repair, or 
recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary 
  if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or 
                             State agency.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING AUTHORIZATIONS FOR UNDERSEA FIBER 
              OPTIC CABLES PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED BY FEDERAL OR STATE 
              AGENCIES.

    The National Marine Sanctuary Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) is 
amended by inserting after section 310 the following:

``SEC. 310A. PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING AUTHORIZATIONS FOR UNDERSEA FIBER 
              OPTIC CABLES PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED BY FEDERAL OR STATE 
              AGENCIES.

    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
the Secretary may not prohibit or require any authorization for the 
installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or 
recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary 
if a license, lease, or permit issued by a Federal or State agency 
authorizing such installation, continued presence, operation, 
maintenance, repair, or recovery is in effect.
    ``(b) Interagency Cooperation.--The Secretary may direct the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in 
interagency cooperation under section 304(d) in any Federal agency 
action described in that section and involving the installation, 
continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of 
undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary.''.
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