I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7344 

To require the Federal Communications Commission to provide broadband 

availability data to the Department of the Interior. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 25, 2020 

Mr. CURTIS 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 Federal Communications Commission to provide broadband availability data to the Department of 

the Interior. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Broadband 

5 Deployment in Unserved Areas Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LOCATING FEDERAL FACILITIES IN UNSERVED 

7 AREAS. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON2 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con3 gress’’ means— 

4 (A) the Committee on Energy and Com5 merce of the House of Representatives; 

6 (B) the Committee on Natural Resources 

7 of the House of Representatives; 

8 (C) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

9 and Transportation of the Senate; and 

10 (D) the Committee on Environment and 

11 Public Works of the Senate. 

12 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

13 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

14 (3) COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY.—The term 

15 ‘‘communications facility’’ includes— 

16 (A) any infrastructure, including any 

17 transmitting device, tower, or support structure, 

18 and any equipment, switches, wiring, cabling, 

19 power sources, shelters, or cabinets, associated 

20 with the licensed or permitted unlicensed wire21 less or wireline transmission of writings, signs, 

22 signals, data, images, pictures, and sounds of 

23 all kinds; and 

24 (B) any antenna or apparatus that— 


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1 (i) is designed for the purpose of 

2 emitting radio frequency; 

3 (ii) is designed to be operated, or is 

4 operating, from a fixed location pursuant 

5 to authorization by the Commission or is 

6 using duly authorized devices that do not 

7 require individual licenses; and 

8 (iii) is added to a tower, building, or 

9 other structure. 

10 (4) COVERED LAND.—The term ‘‘covered land’’ 

11 means— 

12 (A) public land administered by the Sec13 retary of the Interior; and 

14 (B) National Forest System land. 

15 (5) DEPARTMENT CONCERNED.—The term 

16 ‘‘Department concerned’’ means the Department of 

17 the Interior or the Department of Agriculture. 

18 (6) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec19 retary concerned’’ means— 

20 (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with re21 spect to public land; 

22 (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re23 spect to National Forest System land; and 

24 (C) the Secretary of Commerce. 

25 (b) SHARING BROADBAND AVAILABILITY DATA.— 


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1 (1) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 2 business 

2 days after creating the maps required under section 

3 802(c)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 

4 U.S.C. 642(c)(1)), the Commission shall notify the 

5 Secretary concerned that such maps have been cre6 ated. 

7 (2) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—Not later 

8 than 5 business days after the notification described 

9 in paragraph (1), the Commission shall provide the 

10 Secretary concerned any information the Commis11 sion has collected pursuant to title VIII of the Com12 munications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 641 et seq.). 

13 (3) CONTINUATION.—The Commission shall 

14 provide the Secretary concerned the information de15 scribed in paragraph (2) every 6 months unless the 

16 Commission no longer has such information. 

17 (4) PROTECTION OF INFORMATION.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

19 specify to the Secretary concerned which infor20 mation provided under paragraph (2) was col21 lected in a confidential or proprietary manner, 

22 and the Secretary concerned may not make 

23 such information publicly available. 

24 (B) FOIA.—Information provided under 

25 paragraph (2) shall not be disclosed to the pubVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:14 Jul 17, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7344.IH H7344

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1 lic pursuant to section 552(b)(3)(B) of title 5, 

2 United States Code. 

3 (c) WORKING GROUP.— 

4 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 30 days 

5 after the date of enactment of this section, the Com6 mission and the Secretary concerned shall establish 

7 an interagency working group to facilitate the prepa8 ration and interoperability of information technology 

9 systems for the provision and receipt of the informa10 tion described in subsection (b)(2). 

11 (2) NONAPPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal 

12 Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not 

13 apply to the interagency working group established 

14 under paragraph (1). 

15 (3) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.— 

16 Any employee of the Federal Government may be 

17 detailed to the interagency working group estab18 lished under paragraph (1) without reimbursement, 

19 and that detail shall be without interruption or loss 

20 of civil service status or privilege. 

21 (d) REPORTS.— 

22 (1) PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL

23 BARRIERS.—Not later 120 days after the date on 

24 which the interagency working group is established 

25 pursuant to subsection (c)(1), the Commission and 


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1 the Secretary concerned shall jointly submit a report 

2 to the appropriate committees of Congress with a 

3 preliminary assessment of any potential barriers to 

4 sharing the information described under subsection 

5 (b)(2). 

6 (2) ASSESSMENTS.—Not later than 1 year after 

7 the date on which the Commission provides the in8 formation described under subsection (b)(2) to the 

9 Department concerned, the Commission and the Sec10 retary concerned shall jointly submit a report to the 

11 appropriate committees of Congress with— 

12 (A) an assessment of the effectiveness of a 

13 user’s ability to locate broadband infrastructure 

14 on covered land in an area to be determined as 

15 unserved by the Commission on the basis of the 

16 maps created under section 802(c) of the Com17 munications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 642(c)); 

18 and 

19 (B) an assessment of whether the Depart20 ment concerned prioritized the review of appli21 cations for a communications use authorization 

22 in an area to be determined as unserved by the 

23 Commission on the basis of the maps created 


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1 under section 802(c) of the Communications 

2 Act of 1934. 

Æ 


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