Coastal Broadband Deployment Act

Bill: 118-hr-3311
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Introduced: 2023-05-15
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Environmental regulatory procedures

Floods and storm protection

Historic sites and heritage areas

Internet, web applications, social media

Telephone and wireless communication

Wetlands
Latest action: action_date: 2023-05-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-05-15
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Coastal Broadband Deployment Act </strong></p><p>This bill excludes projects to deploy or modify certain transmitting devices, towers, antennas, or other communications facilities from specified environmental and historic preservation reviews if the project is carried out entirely within a floodplain (the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters).</p><p>In particular, it specifies such projects are not considered <em>major federal&nbsp;actions</em> under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or <em>undertakings</em> under the National Historic Preservation Act. This excludes the projects from relevant reviews required under those acts.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3311 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 15, 2023 Mr. Bilirakis (for himself and Mr. Dunn of Florida ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources , 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 provide that a project for the deployment or modification of a communications facility entirely within a floodplain is not subject to requirements to prepare certain environmental or historical preservation reviews.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Coastal Broadband Deployment Act . 2. Application of NEPA and NHPA to floodplains (a) NEPA exemption A Federal authorization with respect to a covered project may not be considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) ). (b) National Historic Preservation Act exemption A covered project may not be considered an undertaking under section 300320 of title 54, United States Code. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Commission The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission. (2) Communications facility The term communications facility has the meaning given the term communications facility installation in section 6409(d) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 ( 47 U.S.C. 1455(d) ). (3) Covered project The term covered project means a project— (A) for the deployment or modification of a communications facility that is to be carried out entirely within a floodplain (as defined in section 9.4 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act); and (B) for which a permit, license, or approval from the Commission is required or that is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission. (4) Federal authorization The term Federal authorization — (A) means any authorization required under Federal law with respect to a covered project; and (B) includes any permits, special use authorizations, certifications, opinions, or other approvals as may be required under Federal law with respect to a covered project.