Bill
HR 1681
H.R. 1681 establishes an interagency "strike force" to expedite federal reviews of communications infrastructure requests on public lands, aiming to expand rural broadband access.
Purpose: The purpose of H.R. 1681 is to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an interagency "strike force" to ensure that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) prioritize the review of requests for communications use authorizations on federal lands.
Key Provisions:
- Establishes a 5-member interagency strike force consisting of the Assistant Secretary, heads of BLM and USFS, and designees of the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior.
- Requires the strike force to:
- Conduct periodic calls to ensure BLM and USFS prioritize reviewing communications use authorization requests.
- Establish "objective and reasonable" goals for the agencies' review of these requests.
- Monitor and facilitate accountability for the agencies meeting those goals.
- Requires the Assistant Secretary to submit a report to Congress within 270 days on the effectiveness of the strike force.
Potential Impact:
- Aims to expedite the process for approving communications infrastructure deployments on federal lands, which is currently hindered by delays.
- Could help expand broadband access in rural and tribal areas by removing regulatory barriers to building out networks on public lands and national forests.
- Seeks to address the "digital divide" by facilitating faster broadband deployment in underserved communities.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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