[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 261 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 146
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 261

                          [Report No. 119-181]

 To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an 
  authorization for the installation, continued presence, 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2025

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

                              July 2, 2025

             Additional sponsors: Mr. Bentz and Mr. Begich

                              July 2, 2025

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 
                                9, 2025]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an 
  authorization for the installation, continued presence, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Undersea Cable Protection Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER 
              AUTHORIZATIONS FOR, UNDERSEA FIBER OPTIC CABLES 
              AUTHORIZED BY A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY.

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

``SEC. 310A. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER 
              AUTHORIZATIONS FOR, UNDERSEA FIBER OPTIC CABLES 
              AUTHORIZED BY A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY.

    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
the Secretary may not prohibit, or require any permit, including any 
special use permit, or other 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 has been issued by a Federal or State agency, 
and is in effect, authorizing such installation, continued presence, 
operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery.
    ``(b) Interagency Cooperation.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as altering existing requirements regarding 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.''.

SEC. 3. REMOVING RESTRICTIONS ON ACTIVITIES COVERED BY SANCTUARY 
              SPECIAL USE PERMITS.

    Section 310(c) of National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 
1441(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); and
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (2).
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to amend the 
        National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary of 
        Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other 
        authorization for, the installation, continued presence, 
        operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber 
        optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities 
        have been authorized by a Federal or State agency.''.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 146

119th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 261

                          [Report No. 119-181]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an 
  authorization for the installation, continued presence, 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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              July 2, 2025

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed