American Broadband Act

Bill: 117-hr-3435
Sponsor: Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5]
Introduced: 2021-05-20 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2021-05-20
text: 

American Broadband Act

 
This bill addresses broadband and other communications services.
 
The bill limits applicable state and local regulatory authority. Limitations include setting (and providing statutory authority for) deadlines for reviews and decisions related to personal wireless and other telecommunication service facilities, as well as cable franchises and services. Further, a state or locality may not provide broadband services in areas with more than one other commercial provider.
 
The bill exempts certain telecommunications infrastructure projects from environmental and historic preservation reviews, including projects carried out after a declared disaster or emergency (e.g., a wildfire).
 
The bill also establishes a rebuttable presumption that a request for a review of the effects of deploying wireless service on historically, culturally, or religiously significant tribal or Native Hawaiian land is complete if the tribe or Native Hawaiian organization receives certain forms.
 
The bill enhances criminal penalties for willful or malicious destruction of a communication facility.
 
Furthermore, the General Services Administration must establish a common fee schedule for deploying wireless facilities that affect federal property.
 
Additionally, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration must
 
 
award grants for expanding high-speed broadband access,
 
facilitate through an interagency strike force timely reviews of telecommunications-related requests that affect federal property (e.g., a request for an easement or right-of-way), and
 
report on certain requests concerning communications facilities on federal real property.
 
 
The bill also requires collaboration among federal agencies that support broadband deployment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit.
action_date: 2021-05-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
action_date: 2021-05-20
text: 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.
action_date: 2021-05-20
text: 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.
action_date: 2021-05-20
text: 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.
action_date: 2021-05-20
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2021-05-20
text: Introduced in House