DIGITAL Applications Act

Bill: 119-hr-1665
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3]
Introduced: 2025-02-27
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Government buildings, facilities, and property

Government information and archives

Internet, web applications, social media

Land use and conservation

Telephone and wireless communication
Latest action: action_date: 2025-04-09
text: Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-27
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Deploying Infrastructure with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy Applications Act or the DIGITAL Applications Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to each establish an online portal for accepting, processing, and disposal of applications for&nbsp;communications use authorizations. These are requests for easements, rights-of-way, leases, licenses, or other authorizations to locate or modify a transmitting device, support structure, or other communications facility on public lands or National Forest System land.</p><p>Interior and the Forest Service must also notify the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within three business days of establishing their respective portals, and once the portals are established, the NTIA must link to them from its website.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1665 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 27, 2025 Mrs. Cammack (for herself and Ms. Matsui ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources , and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce , 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 A BILL To require the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to establish online portals to accept, process, and dispose of certain Form 299s, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Deploying Infrastructure with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy Applications Act or the DIGITAL Applications Act . 2. Establishment of online portals to accept, process, and dispose of certain Form 299s (a) Establishment of online portals (1) Establishment Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries concerned shall each establish, with respect to the relevant covered department, an online portal for the acceptance, processing, and disposal of a Form 299 for communications use authorizations. (2) Notification Not later than 3 business days after the date on which an online portal has been established by a Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1), that Secretary shall notify the Assistant Secretary of the establishment of such portal. (b) Availability of online portals The Assistant Secretary shall publish on the website of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration a link to each online portal established pursuant to subsection (a)(1). (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Assistant secretary The term Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. (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) Communications use The term communications use means the placement and operation of a communications facility. (4) Communications use authorization The term communications use authorization means an easement, right-of-way, lease, license, or other authorization— (A) provided by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture; (B) to locate or modify a communications facility on covered land; and (C) for the primary purpose of authorizing the occupancy and use of such covered land for communications use. (5) Covered land The term covered land means— (A) public lands; and (B) National Forest System land. (6) Form 299 The term Form 299 means the form established under 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. (7) National Forest System The term National Forest System has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 ( 16 U.S.C. 1609(a) ). (8) Public lands The term public lands has the meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1702 ). (9) Relevant covered department The term relevant covered department means— (A) with respect to the Secretary of the Interior, the Department of the Interior; and (B) with respect to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture. (10) Secretaries concerned The term Secretaries concerned means— (A) the Secretary of the Interior; and (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.