Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act

Subjects: Science, Technology, Communications, Advisory bodies, Congressional oversight, Government buildings, facilities, and property, Infrastructure development, Intergovernmental relations, Internet, web applications, social media, Land use and conservation


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3293 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3293

 To require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
  Information to establish an interagency strike force to ensure that 
certain Federal land management agencies, including the organizational 
     units of such agencies, prioritize the review of requests for 
       communications use authorizations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2023

 Mr. Duncan (for himself and Ms. Craig) 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 Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
  Information to establish an interagency strike force to ensure that 
certain Federal land management agencies, including the organizational 
     units of such agencies, prioritize the review of requests for 
       communications use authorizations, 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 ``Expediting Federal Broadband 
Deployment Reviews Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY STRIKE FORCE.

    (a) Interagency Strike Force.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall 
        establish an interagency strike force to ensure that each 
        Federal land management agency, including each organizational 
        unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for 
        communications use authorizations.
            (2) Members.--The strike force shall be composed of--
                    (A) the Assistant Secretary;
                    (B) the head of each Federal land management 
                agency;
                    (C) a designee of the Secretary of Agriculture, 
                other than the Chief of the Forest Service; and
                    (D) a designee of the Secretary of the Interior, 
                other than the Director of the Bureau of Land 
                Management.
            (3) Duties.--The duties of the strike force shall include--
                    (A) conducting periodic calls between the members 
                of the strike force to ensure that each Federal land 
                management agency, including each organizational unit 
                of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for 
                communications use authorizations;
                    (B) establishing objective and reasonable goals for 
                the review of requests for communications use 
                authorizations; and
                    (C) monitoring, and facilitating the accountability 
                of, each Federal land management agency, including each 
                organizational unit of the agency, with respect to 
                meeting such goals.
            (4) Report to congress.--Not later than 270 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary 
        shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        report on the effectiveness of the strike force in ensuring 
        that each Federal land management agency, including each 
        organizational unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of 
        requests for communications use authorizations.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives;
                    (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (C) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate; and
                    (D) the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
                of the Senate.
            (2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' 
        means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications 
        and Information.
            (3) Communications facility.--The term ``communications 
        facility'' has the meaning given the term ``communications 
        facility installation'' in section 6409(d) of the Middle Class 
        Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1455(d)).
            (4) Communications use.--The term ``communications use'' 
        means the placement and operation of a communications facility.
            (5) Communications use authorization.--The term 
        ``communications use authorization'' means an easement, right-
        of-way, lease, license, or other authorization--
                    (A) provided by a Federal land management agency;
                    (B) to locate or modify a communications facility 
                on covered land; and
                    (C) for the primary purpose of authorizing the 
                occupancy and use of such land for communications use.
            (6) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means--
                    (A) public lands; and
                    (B) National Forest System land.
            (7) Federal land management agency.--The term ``Federal 
        land management agency'' means each of the following:
                    (A) The Bureau of Land Management.
                    (B) The Forest Service.
            (8) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest 
        System'' has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of 
        the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 
        1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
            (9) Organizational unit.--The term ``organizational unit'' 
        means--
                    (A) with respect to the Bureau of Land Management--
                            (i) a State office;
                            (ii) a regional office;
                            (iii) a district office; or
                            (iv) a field office; and
                    (B) with respect to the Forest Service--
                            (i) a regional office;
                            (ii) a management unit; or
                            (iii) a ranger district office.
            (10) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land 
        Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).
            (11) Strike force.--The term ``strike force'' means the 
        interagency strike force established under subsection (a)(1).
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