Public Lands Telecommunications Act

Bill: 114-hr-6099
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
Introduced: 2016-09-21
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Department of Agriculture

Department of the Interior

Forests, forestry, trees

Government trust funds

Land use and conservation

Parks, recreation areas, trails

Telephone and wireless communication

User charges and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2016-10-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-09-21
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Public Lands Telecommunications Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to establish separate special accounts for the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service (the federal land management agencies) for the deposit of rental fees received by such agencies for communications use authorizations on federal lands that are granted, issued, or executed by them. A &quot;communication use authorization&quot; is defined as a right-of-way, permit, or lease granted, issued, or executed by a federal land management agency for the primary purpose of authorizing the occupancy and use of federal lands for communications use.</p> <p>The rental fees received by each federal land management agency shall:</p> <ul> <li>be deposited in its special account, and </li> <li>remain available for expenditure for agency activities related to communications sites (those areas of federal lands designated for telecommunications uses).</li> </ul> <p>The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture may enter into cooperative agreements for the administration of communications sites. </p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6099 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 21, 2016 Mr. Huffman (for himself and Ms. Eshoo ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources , and in addition to the Committee on 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 A BILL To support the establishment and improvement of communications sites on or adjacent to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture through the retention and use of rental fees associated with such sites, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Public Lands Telecommunications Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Communications site The term communications site means an area of Federal lands designated for telecommunications uses. (2) Communications use The term communications use means the placement and operation of infrastructure for wireless telecommunications, regardless of whether the use of radio frequencies by such telecommunications is pursuant to a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission or on an unlicensed basis in accordance with the regulations of the Commission. The term includes ancillary activities directly related to such placement and operation. (3) Communications use authorization The term communications use authorization means a right-of-way, permit, or lease granted, issued, or executed by a Federal land management agency for the primary purpose of authorizing the occupancy and use of Federal lands for communications use. (4) Federal land management agency The term Federal land management agency means the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service. (5) Federal lands The term Federal lands means lands under the jurisdiction and management of a Federal land management agency. (6) Rental fee The term rental fee means the fee based on the market value of the occupancy and use authorized by a communications use authorization, as determined by appraisal or other sound business management principles as required by the provision of law pursuant to which a Federal land management agency granted, issued, or executed the communications use authorization. 3. Retention of rental fees associated with communications use authorizations on Federal lands and Federal land management agency support for communication site programs (a) Special account required The Secretary of the Treasury shall establish a special account in the Treasury for each Federal land management agency for the deposit of rental fees received by a Federal land management agency for communications use authorizations on Federal lands granted, issued, or executed by the Federal land management agency. (b) Deposit and Retention of rental fees Rental fees received by a Federal land management agency shall— (1) be deposited in the special account established for that Federal land management agency; and (2) remain available for expenditure under subsection (c), without further appropriation and until expended. (c) Expenditure of retained fees Amounts deposited in the special account for a Federal land management agency shall be used for Federal land management agency activities related to communications sites, including the following: (1) Administering communications use authorizations, including cooperative agreements under section 4. (2) Preparing needs assessments or other programmatic analyses necessary to designate communications sites and authorize communications uses on or adjacent to Federal lands. (3) Developing management plans for communications sites on or adjacent to Federal lands. (4) Training for management of communications sites on or adjacent to Federal lands. (5) Obtaining or improving access to communications sites on or adjacent to Federal lands. (d) No effect on other fee retention authorities This Act shall not limit or otherwise affect fee retention by a Federal land management agency under any other authority. 4. Cooperative agreement authority (a) Department of the interior The Secretary of the Interior may enter into cooperative agreements for administration of communications sites. (b) Forest service The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, may enter into cooperative agreements for administration of communications sites.