I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1731 
To amend the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 to 
establish a uniform fee schedule applicable to the processing of forms 
for the consideration of applications for the placement of communications 
facilities on certain buildings and other property owned by the Federal 
Government, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2025 
Mr. PALMER (for himself and Mr. RYAN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation 
Act of 2012 to establish a uniform fee schedule applica-
ble to the processing of forms for the consideration of 
applications for the placement of communications facili-
ties on certain buildings and other property owned by 
the Federal Government, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Standard Fees to Ex-
pedite Evaluation and Streamlining Act’’ or the ‘‘Stand-
ard FEES Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFORM FEE SCHEDULE AP-
PLICABLE TO THE PROCESSING OF CERTAIN 
FORMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6409 of the Middle Class 
Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 
1455) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) COMMON FEE SCHEDULE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of Gen-
eral Services shall establish a uniform schedule of 
fees applicable to the processing of the forms de-
scribed under subsections (b)(2) and (c)(3). 
‘‘(2) FEE GUIDELINES.—The schedule of fees 
established under paragraph (1) shall be— 
‘‘(A) based on the direct costs incurred by 
an agency in processing a form described under 
subsection (b)(2) or (c)(3); and 
‘‘(B) competitively neutral with respect to 
any fee established for the processing of a form 
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for a similar use of the building or other prop-
erty owned by the Federal Government. 
‘‘(3) EXCEPTIONS.—The Administrator of Gen-
eral Services may establish exceptions to the sched-
ule of fees established under paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) that are competitively neutral with 
respect to the categories of individuals or enti-
ties to be granted the exception; 
‘‘(B) in consideration of the public benefit 
of— 
‘‘(i) granting an easement, right-of- 
way, or lease described under subsection 
(b)(1); or 
‘‘(ii) entering into a contract for the 
placement of a communications facility in-
stallation under subsection (c)(1); and 
‘‘(C) in the interest of expanding the de-
ployment of broadband internet access service, 
as defined in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of 
Federal Regulations (or any successor regula-
tion). 
‘‘(4) ADOPTION BY EXECUTIVE AGENCIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The head of each ex-
ecutive agency shall adopt by regulation— 
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‘‘(i) fees that correspond to the sched-
ule established by the Administrator under 
paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(ii) any exceptions to such schedule 
established by the Administrator under 
paragraph (3). 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTIONS.—The head of an exec-
utive agency may only grant an exception pur-
suant to subparagraph (A)(ii) on a case-by-case 
basis. 
‘‘(5) USE OF FEES COLLECTED.—Any fee col-
lected by an executive agency under this section 
shall only be available to the extent, and in such 
amounts, as are provided in advance in appropria-
tion Acts, to the agency to cover the costs of proc-
essing the forms described under subsections (b)(2) 
and (c)(3). 
‘‘(6) RELATIONSHIP
TO
OTHER
STATUTES.— 
Any fee chargeable under this subsection shall 
supercede any other fee applicable to the processing 
of a form described under subsection (b)(2) or (c)(3) 
that is chargeable under another statute.’’. 
(b) DEADLINES.— 
(1) FOR
THE
ADMINISTRATOR
OF
GENERAL 
SERVICES.—Not later than 30 days after the date of 
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the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of Gen-
eral Services shall establish the schedule of fees re-
quired by section 6409(d) of the Middle Class Tax 
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 
1455(d)), as added by subsection (a). 
(2) FOR
EXECUTIVE
AGENCIES.—Not later 
than 120 days after the Administrator of General 
Services establishes the schedule of fees described 
under paragraph (1), the head of an executive agen-
cy required to adopt the fees and exceptions required 
by section 6409(d)(4) of the Middle Class Tax Relief 
and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 
1455(d)(4)), as added by subsection (a), shall estab-
lish such fees and exceptions. 
Æ 
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