Presidential Documents

1507 

Federal Register 

Vol. 83, No. 8 

Thursday, January 11, 2018 

Title 3— 

The President 

Executive Order 13821 of January 8, 2018 

Streamlining and Expediting Requests To Locate Broadband 

Facilities in Rural America 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote better access 

to broadband internet service in rural America, it is hereby ordered as 

follows: 

Section 1. Policy. Americans need access to reliable, affordable broadband 

internet service to succeed in today’s information-driven, global economy. 

Currently, too many American citizens and businesses still lack access to 

this basic tool of modern economic connectivity. This problem is particularly 

acute in rural America, and it hinders the ability of rural American communities to increase economic prosperity; attract new businesses; enhance job 

growth; extend the reach of affordable, high-quality healthcare; enrich student 

learning with digital tools; and facilitate access to the digital marketplace. 

It shall therefore be the policy of the executive branch to use all viable 

tools to accelerate the deployment and adoption of affordable, reliable, modern high-speed broadband connectivity in rural America, including rural 

homes, farms, small businesses, manufacturing and production sites, tribal 

communities, transportation systems, and healthcare and education facilities. 

To implement this policy and enable sustainable rural broadband infrastructure projects, executive departments and agencies (agencies) should seek 

to reduce barriers to capital investment, remove obstacles to broadband 

services, and more efficiently employ Government resources. 

Among other actions, the executive branch will continue its implementation 

of section 6409 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 

2012 (Public Law 112–96) (‘‘section 6409’’), which requires, among other 

things, that the General Services Administration (GSA) develop a common 

form and master contract for wireless facility sitings on buildings and other 

property owned by the Federal Government. These documents enable the 

Federal Government to process wireless facility siting requests more efficiently and will also provide additional predictability regarding the availability of locations for asset installation to installers of wireless broadband 

facilities. 

Sec. 2. Reviewing Requests to Locate Broadband Facilities on Federal Real 

Property. (a) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Administrator 

of General Services (Administrator), in coordination with the heads of Federal 

property managing agencies, shall evaluate the effectiveness of the GSA 

Common Form Application for use in streamlining and expediting the processing and review of requests to locate broadband facilities on Federal real 

property. 

(b) As part of this evaluation, the Administrator shall determine whether 

any revisions to the GSA Common Form Application are appropriate and, 

to the extent consistent with law, shall begin implementation of any such 

revisions. 

(c) In furtherance of section 6409, all applicants and Federal property 

managing agencies shall use the GSA Common Form Application for wireless 

service antenna structure siting developed by the Administrator for requests 

to locate broadband facilities on Federal property. Federal property managing 

agencies shall expeditiously review and approve such requests unless an 


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approval would negatively affect performance of the agency’s mission or 

otherwise not be in the best interests of the United States. 

(d) Within 180 days of the date of this order, and on a quarterly basis 

thereafter, all Federal property managing agencies shall report to the GSA 

regarding their required use of the Common Form Application, the number 

of Common Form Applications received, the percentage approved, the percentage rejected, the basis for any rejection, and the number of working 

days each application was pending before being approved or rejected. Each 

report shall include the number of applications received, approved, and 

rejected within the preceding quarter. 

(e) Ninety days after the date of this order, and on a quarterly basis 

thereafter, the Administrator shall prepare and provide to the Director of 

the Office of Management and Budget (Director) an aggregated summary 

report detailing results from the reports submitted under subsection (d) 

of this section. Not later than 1 year from the date of this order, the 

Administrator shall recommend to the Director improvements to the Common 

Form Application needed to further the purposes of this order. 

Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this order: 

(a) The term ‘‘Federal property managing agencies’’ means agencies that 

have custody and control of, or responsibility for managing, Federal lands, 

buildings, and rights of way, federally assisted highways, and tribal lands. 

(b) The term ‘‘Federal real property’’ has the same meaning as that term 

has in Executive Order 13327 of February 4, 2004 (Federal Real Property 

Asset Management). 

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed 

to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director relating to budgetary, administrative, 

or legislative proposals. 

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and 

subject to the availability of appropriations. 


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(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, 

substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party 

against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, 

employees, or agents, or any other person. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

January 8, 2018. 

[FR Doc. 2018–00553 

Filed 1–10–18; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3295–F8–P 


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