March 5, 2025
Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Luján, and Mr. Barrasso) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
To require executive agencies to take steps to better meet the statutory deadline for processing communications use applications, 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 Accelerating Broadband Permits Act
.
Sec. 2. Tracking and improving processing times for communications use applications
Section 6409(b)(3) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1455(b)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(E) Tracking and improving processing times
(i) Data controls
An executive agency shall develop controls to ensure that data is sufficiently accurate and complete to track the processing time for each application described in subparagraph (A).
(ii) Requirement to analyze, address, and report on delay factors
With respect to the factors that contribute to delays in processing applications described in subparagraph (A), an executive agency shall—
(I)
analyze the factors as the delays are occurring;
(II)
take actions to address the factors; and
(III)
provide an annual report on the factors to—
(aa)
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;
(bb)
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;
(cc)
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives;
(dd)
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and
(ee)
each committee of Congress with jurisdiction over the executive agency.
(iii) Method for alerting staff to at-risk applications
An executive agency shall establish a method to alert employees of the executive agency to any application described in subparagraph (A) with respect to which the executive agency is at risk of failing to meet the 270-day deadline under that subparagraph.
Sec. 3. Minimum broadband project cost
Section 41001(6)(A) of the FAST Act (42 U.S.C. 4370m(6)(A)) is amended—
(1)
in clause (iii), by striking or
at the end;
(2)
by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and
(3)
by inserting after clause (iii) the following:
(iv)
(I)
is subject to NEPA;
(II)
involves the construction of infrastructure for broadband; and
(III)
is likely to require a total investment of more than $5,000,000; or