[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3294 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3294
To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture to develop a plan for providing the staffing necessary to
ensure timely review of communications use authorizations, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15, 2023
Mr. Armstrong (for himself and Ms. Velazquez) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in
addition to the Committee on 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 direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture to develop a plan for providing the staffing necessary to
ensure timely review of communications use authorizations, and for
other purposes.
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 ``Enhancing Administrative Reviews for
Broadband Deployment Act''.
SEC. 2. ENSURING TIMELY REVIEW OF COMMUNICATIONS USE AUTHORIZATIONS.
(a) Study and Report.--
(1) Study.--The Secretaries concerned shall each conduct,
with respect to the relevant covered department, a study to
determine--
(A) if there are programmatic or administrative
barriers to the timely review of requests for
communications use authorizations;
(B) if there are revisions to rules or regulations
that could be implemented to improve efficiency with
respect to reviewing requests for communications use
authorizations; and
(C) if there are processes for prioritizing the
review of requests for communications use
authorizations.
(2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries concerned shall jointly
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
that--
(A) describes the results of the studies conducted
under paragraph (1), including any barriers, revisions,
or processes identified under subparagraphs (A) through
(C) of such paragraph; and
(B) includes a plan for providing, with respect to
the organizational units of the relevant covered
departments, the staffing necessary to ensure timely
review of communications use authorizations.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' 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) Communications facility.--The term ``communications
facility'' has the meaning given the term ``communications
facility installation'' in section 6409(d) of the Middle Class
Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1455(d)).
(3) Communications use.--The term ``communications use''
means the placement and operation of a communications facility.
(4) Communications use authorization.--The term
``communications use authorization'' means an easement, right-
of-way, lease, license, or other authorization--
(A) provided by the Secretary of the Interior or
the Secretary of Agriculture;
(B) to locate or modify a communications facility
on covered land; and
(C) for the primary purpose of authorizing the
occupancy and use of such covered land for
communications use.
(5) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means--
(A) public lands; and
(B) National Forest System land.
(6) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest
System'' has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
(7) Organizational unit.--The term ``organizational unit''
means--
(A) with respect to the Department of the
Interior--
(i) a State office of the Bureau of Land
Management;
(ii) a regional office of the Bureau of
Land Management;
(iii) a district office of the Bureau of
Land Management; or
(iv) a field office of the Bureau of Land
Management; and
(B) with respect to the Department of Agriculture--
(i) a regional office of the Forest
Service;
(ii) a management unit of the Forest
Service; or
(iii) a ranger district office of the
Forest Service.
(8) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the
meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).
(9) Relevant covered department.--The term ``relevant
covered department'' means--
(A) with respect to the Secretary of the Interior,
the Department of the Interior; and
(B) with respect to the Secretary of Agriculture,
the Department of Agriculture.
(10) Secretaries concerned.--The term ``Secretaries
concerned'' means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior; and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through
the Chief of the Forest Service.
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