I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6915 

To support the establishment and improvement of communications sites on 

or adjacent to Federal lands through the retention and use of rental 

fees associated with such sites, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 5, 2024 

Mr. HUFFMAN (for himself and Mr. KHANNA) introduced the following bill 

JANUARY 9, 2024 

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 support the establishment and improvement of communications sites on or adjacent to Federal lands through 

the retention and use of rental fees associated with such 

sites, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Public Lands Tele5 communications Act’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) COMMUNICATIONS SITE.—The term ‘‘com4 munications site’’ means an area of Federal lands 

5 designated or approved for communications use. 

6 (2) COMMUNICATIONS USE.—The term ‘‘com7 munications use’’— 

8 (A) means the placement, operation, or 

9 both, of infrastructure for wireline or wireless 

10 telecommunications, including cable television, 

11 television, and radio communications, regardless 

12 of whether such placement or operation is pur13 suant to a license issued by the Federal Com14 munications Commission or on an unlicensed 

15 basis in accordance with the regulations of the 

16 Commission; and 

17 (B) includes ancillary activities, uses, or 

18 facilities directly related to such placement or 

19 operation. 

20 (3) COMMUNICATIONS USE AUTHORIZATION.— 

21 The term ‘‘communications use authorization’’ 

22 means a right-of-way, permit, or lease granted, 

23 issued, or executed by a Federal land management 

24 agency for the primary purpose of authorizing the 

25 occupancy and use of Federal lands for communica26 tions use. 

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1 (4) FEDERAL LANDS.—The term ‘‘Federal 

2 lands’’ means lands under the jurisdiction and man3 agement of a Federal land management agency. 

4 (5) FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY.— 

5 The term ‘‘Federal land management agency’’ 

6 means the National Park Service, the United States 

7 Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Man8 agement, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest 

9 Service. 

10 (6) RENTAL FEE.—The term ‘‘rental fee’’ 

11 means a fee collected by a Federal land management 

12 agency for the occupancy and use authorized by a 

13 communications use authorization pursuant to and 

14 consistent with authorizing law. 

15 SEC. 3. COLLECTION AND RETENTION OF RENTAL FEES AS16 SOCIATED WITH COMMUNICATIONS USE AU17 THORIZATIONS ON FEDERAL LANDS AND 

18 FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY SUP19 PORT FOR COMMUNICATIONS SITE PRO20 GRAMS. 

21 (a) SPECIAL ACCOUNT REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 

22 the Treasury shall establish a special account in the 

23 Treasury for each Federal land management agency for 

24 the deposit of rental fees received by the Federal land 

25 management agency pursuant to this Act. 

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1 (b) FAIR MARKET VALUE.—Notwithstanding any 

2 other provision of law, any rental fee collected pursuant 

3 to this Act shall be of a fair market value with respect 

4 to other uses of the communications site. 

5 (c) RENTAL FEES.— 

6 (1) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF RENTAL

7 FEES.—Rental fees shall not exceed the fee sched8 ules published by the Secretary of the Interior for 

9 communications use rights-of-way or the fair market 

10 value under subsection (b), whichever is greater. 

11 (2) REVISION OF RENTAL FEE SCHEDULES FOR

12 COMMUNICATIONS SITES RIGHTS-OF-WAY.—Not later 

13 than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 

14 Act, through a public process that includes consider15 ation of industry comments, the Secretary of the In16 terior shall revise the communications sites rights-of17 way rental fee schedule to reflect fair market value 

18 and current communications technologies, including 

19 the physical footprint of such technologies. 

20 (d) DEPOSIT AND RETENTION OF RENTAL FEES.— 

21 Rental fees received by a Federal land management agen22 cy shall— 

23 (1) be deposited in the special account estab24 lished for that Federal land management agency 

25 under subsection (a); and 

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1 (2) remain available for expenditure under sub2 section (e), to the extent and in such amounts as are 

3 provided in advance in appropriation Acts. 

4 (e) EXPENDITURE OF RETAINED FEES.—Amounts 

5 deposited in the special account for a Federal land man6 agement agency pursuant to this Act shall be used solely 

7 by that Federal land management agency for activities re8 lated to communications sites on lands managed by that 

9 Federal land management agency, including the following: 

10 (1) Administering communications use author11 izations, including cooperative agreements under sec12 tion 4. 

13 (2) Preparing needs assessments or other pro14 grammatic analyses necessary to establish commu15 nications sites and authorize communications uses 

16 on or adjacent to Federal lands managed by that 

17 Federal land management agency. 

18 (3) Developing management plans for commu19 nications sites on or adjacent to Federal lands man20 aged by that Federal land management agency on a 

21 competitively neutral, technology neutral, non22 discriminatory basis. 

23 (4) Training for management of communica24 tions sites on or adjacent to Federal lands managed 

25 by that Federal land management agency. 

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1 (5) Obtaining, improving access to, or estab2 lishing communications sites on or adjacent to Fed3 eral lands managed by that Federal land manage4 ment agency. 

5 (f) NO EFFECT ON OTHER FEE RETENTION AU6 THORITIES.—This Act shall not limit or otherwise affect 

7 fee retention by a Federal land management agency under 

8 any other authority. 

9 SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AUTHORITY. 

10 The Secretary of the Interior may enter into coopera11 tive agreements to carry out the activities described in sec12 tion 3(e). 

13 SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AU14 THORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRI15 CULTURE. 

16 Section 8705(f) of the Agriculture Improvement Act 

17 of 2018 (43 U.S.C. 1761a(f)) is amended by adding at 

18 the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(6) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AUTHORITY.— 

20 The Secretary may enter into cooperative agree21 ments to carry out the activities described in sub22 paragraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (4).’’. 

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