Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act

To require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to report to Congress every 60 days on barriers to implementation by the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture of an online portal to accept, process, and dispose of an application for the placement of communications facilities on certain Federal lands. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Facilitating the Deployment of Infrastructure with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy Applications Act Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act 2. Barriers to implementation of an online portal for Form 299 (a) Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate committees of congress The term appropriate committees of Congress (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 (3) Communications facility The term communications facility (A) any infrastructure, including any transmitting device, tower, or support structure, and any equipment, switches, wiring, cabling, power sources, shelters, or cabinets, associated with the licensed or permitted unlicensed wireless or wireline transmission of writings, signs, signals, data, images, pictures, and sounds of all kinds; and (B) any antenna or apparatus that— (i) is designed for the purpose of emitting radio frequency; (ii) is designed to be operated, or is operating, from a fixed location pursuant to authorization by the Commission or is using duly authorized devices that do not require individual licenses; and (iii) is added to a tower, building, or other structure. (4) Communications use The term communications use (5) Communications use authorization The term communications use authorization (6) Covered land The term covered land (A) public land administered by the Secretary of the Interior; and (B) National Forest System land. (7) Department concerned The term Department concerned (8) Form 299 The term Form 299 47 U.S.C. 1455(b)(2)(A) (9) Secretary concerned The term Secretary concerned (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public land; and (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System land. (b) Barriers to implementation (1) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, and every 60 days thereafter until the notification described in paragraph (2), the Assistant Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate committees in Congress— (A) describing whether the Department concerned has established an online portal for the acceptance, processing, and disposal of a Form 299; and (B) describing barriers to the establishment of an online portal for the acceptance, processing, and disposal of a Form 299. (2) Notification described The Secretary concerned shall notify the Assistant Secretary not later than 3 business days after the Department concerned has established an online portal for the acceptance, processing, and disposal of a Form 299.

Summary: Facilitating the Deployment of Infrastructure with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy Applications Act or the Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to submit a report every 60 days describing whether the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture have established online portals for the acceptance, processing, and disposal of a Form 299, as well as any barriers to the establishment of such portals. Form 299 is the application form for the right to install, construct, modify, or maintain a communications facility on federal real property. Both agencies shall notify the NTIA not later than three business days after establishing their online portals.