Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act
Bill: H.R.1055 | Sponsor: Rep. Hudson, Richard (R-NC)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act
This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to submit a report on tracking Form 299 requests. Form 299 is the application form for the right to install, construct, modify, or maintain a communications facility on federal real property.
Such report must include (1) a plan describing how the NTIA will track a Form 299 submitted by a requesting party, (2) a description of how the NTIA would most expeditiously implement such plan, (3) a way to increase transparency to a requesting party on the status of a Form 299, and (4) an assessment of barriers that could delay implementation of the plan.

To require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
    Information to submit a plan to Congress to track requests for 
           communications use authorization on Federal land.

    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 ``Federal Broadband Deployment 
Tracking Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORT ON TRACKING FORM 299 REQUESTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress a report containing the elements 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Elements Described.--The elements described in this subsection 
are the following:
            (1) A plan describing how the Assistant Secretary will 
        track the acceptance, processing, and disposal of a Form 299 
        submitted to the Secretary concerned by a requesting party.
            (2) A description of how the Assistant Secretary would most 
        expeditiously implement the plan described in paragraph (1).
            (3) A description of how the Assistant Secretary may 
        increase transparency to a requesting party on the status of a 
        Form 299 received by the Secretary concerned.
            (4) A description of any barriers the Assistant Secretary 
        determines could delay the implementation of the plan described 
        in paragraph (1).
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate.
            (2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' 
        means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications 
        and Information.
            (3) Form 299.--The term ``Form 299'' means the form 
        developed pursuant to section 6409(b)(2)(A) of the Middle Class 
        Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 
        1455(b)(2)(A)), or any successor form.
            (4) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest 
        System'' has the meaning given the term in section 11(a) of the 
        Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 
        (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
            (5) Public land.--The term ``public land'' means land under 
        the management of--
                    (A) the Bureau of Land Management;
                    (B) the National Park Service;
                    (C) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; or
                    (D) the Bureau of Reclamation.
            (6) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to 
                public land; and
                    (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 
                National Forest System land.
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