Federal Broadband Permit Coordination Act of 2023

To facilitate Federal broadband permit coordination, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Broadband Permit Coordination Act of 2023 2. Federal broadband permit coordination (a) Memorandum of understanding Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, in consultation with the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers and the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, shall enter into, in accordance with this section, a memorandum of understanding with— (1) the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior (as the case may be); (2) the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and (3) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. (b) Purpose The purpose of the memorandum of understanding entered into under subsection (a) shall be to coordinate and expedite permitting decisions for broadband projects. (c) State or Tribal participation The Secretary concerned may request that the Governor of a State or the officer designated by the governing body of an Indian Tribe with one or more broadband projects be a party to the memorandum of understanding entered into under subsection (a). (d) Designation of qualified staff (1) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of entrance into a memorandum of understanding under subsection (a), the head of each Federal agency that is a party to the memorandum of understanding (other than the Secretary concerned) may, if the head of the Federal agency determines it to be appropriate, designate to each State or regional office (that has been delegated responsibility by the Secretary concerned for issuing permits for broadband projects) an employee of that Federal agency with expertise in regulatory issues relating to that Federal agency, including, as applicable, particular expertise in— (A) planning under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 ( 16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq. 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. (B) the preparation of analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (C) consultation and the preparation of biological opinions under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1536 (2) Establishment of streamlining team If employees are designated under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall establish a broadband permit streamlining team, comprised of such employees, in each State or regional office that has been delegated responsibility by the Secretary concerned for issuing permits for broadband projects. (3) Duties Each employee designated under paragraph (1) shall— (A) be responsible for any issue relating to any broadband project, within the jurisdiction of the State or regional office, under the authority of the Federal agency from which the employee is assigned; and (B) participate as part of the team of personnel working on one or more proposed broadband projects, including with respect to planning and environmental analyses. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Broadband project The term broadband project (2) Broadband provider The term broadband provider (3) Indian Tribe The term Indian Tribe Indian tribe 25 U.S.C. 5130 (4) National Forest System The term National Forest System 16 U.S.C. 1609(a) (5) Secretary concerned The term Secretary concerned (A) the Secretary of Agriculture (acting through the Chief of the Forest Service), with respect to National Forest System land; and (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to land managed by the Department of the Interior (including land held in trust for an Indian Tribe). (6) State The term State

Summary: Federal Broadband Permit Coordination Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to coordinate with specified federal entities and other stakeholders to expedite permits for broadband projects (i.e., projects to install fiber optic lines, communications towers, and related infrastructure). It also allows the departments to establish teams to support the coordination efforts. Specifically, USDA and Interior must enter into agreements with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to coordinate and expedite the permits. In developing the agreements, USDA and Interior (1) must consult with organizations representing state and tribal historic preservation officers, and (2) may request that states and Indian tribes with broadband projects in their jurisdictions enter the agreements. After entering an agreement, USDA and Interior may designate employees with expertise in planning, environmental analyses, and other relevant topics to work as part of a team in a state or regional office that has been delegated responsibility for issuing broadband permits.