Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act

Bill: 116-hr-7349
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Flores, Bill [R-TX-17]
Introduced: 2020-06-25
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government studies and investigations

Telephone and wireless communication
Latest action: action_date: 2020-09-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-06-25
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to report to Congress on communications use authorizations (i.e., authorizations to modify or locate communications facilities on public lands). </p> <p>Specifically, Interior and USDA must (1) provide an assessment on programmatic or administrative barriers to reviewing communications use authorizations, (2) provide an assessment of whether there are rules or regulations that could be revised to improve the efficiency of reviewing communications use authorizations, (3) describe the process for prioritizing the review of communications use authorizations, and (4) provide a plan to ensure adequate staffing to review communications use authorizations in a timely manner.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7349 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 25, 2020 Mr. Flores 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 require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to provide a plan to ensure adequate staffing throughout organizational units of the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture to review communications use authorizations in a timely manner.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act . 2. Enabling administrative review (a) Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate committees of Congress The term appropriate committees of Congress means— (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) Communications facility The term communications facility includes— (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. (3) Communications site The term communications site means an area of covered land designated for communications uses. (4) Communications use The term communications use means the placement and operation of communications facility. (5) Communications use authorization The term communications use authorization means an easement, right-of-way, lease, license, or other authorization to locate or modify a communications facility on covered land by the Department concerned for the primary purpose of authorizing the occupancy and use of the covered land for communications use. (6) Covered land The term covered land means— (A) public land administered by the Secretary of the Interior; and (B) National Forest System land. (7) Department concerned The term Department concerned means the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture. (8) Organizational unit The term organizational unit means— (A) with respect to public land administered by the Secretary of the Interior— (i) a State office; (ii) a district office; or (iii) a field office; and (B) within the Forest Service— (i) a regional office; (ii) the headquarters; (iii) a management unit; or (iv) a ranger district office. (9) 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. (b) Study required Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress— (1) providing an assessment on programmatic or administrative barriers to reviewing communications use authorizations by the Department concerned or organizational units of the Department concerned; (2) providing an assessment whether there are rules or regulations of the Department concerned that could be revised to improve the efficiency of reviewing a communications use authorization; (3) describing the process for prioritizing the review of a communications use authorization; and (4) providing a plan to ensure adequate staffing throughout organizational units of the Department concerned to review communications use authorizations in a timely manner.