Securing Local Communities Input in Broadband Development Act

119th Congress Introduced by Chris Smith

The bill would declare certain FCC actions null and void, making those rules, orders, or decisions have no force or effect.

Introduced in House

Overview

Official title: To provide that certain actions by the Federal Communications Commission shall have no force or effect.

Purpose: The bill seeks to nullify or override specified actions taken by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). While the exact actions are not enumerated in the provided text, the bill makes clear that those actions would have no legal force or effect.

Session and jurisdiction: United States Congress, House of Representatives, 119th Congress.

Key Provisions and Effects

Nullification of FCC actions: The central provision is to declare that certain FCC actions “shall have no force or effect.” This means:

Any rules, orders, or determinations identified by the bill as within scope would not be enforceable.
Agencies, states, entities, and individuals would not be obligated to comply with those FCC actions.

Scope (as indicated): The bill references “certain actions” without listing them in the summary provided. In bills of this nature, the enumerated actions are typically specified in the bill text (e.g., particular orders, rulemakings, licenses, or policy directives). The effect is to preclude application of those actions pending further legislative action or alternative regulatory direction.

Note: The exact FCC actions targeted by the bill would be defined in the bill’s text or an accompanying description. The summary here reflects the general mechanism—declaring specified FCC actions null and void.

Who/What Would Be Affected

Federal Communications Commission actions: Any FCC rules, orders, or decisions named in the bill would lose legal effect.

Regulated parties: Entities subject to FCC regulation (e.g., broadband providers, telecom carriers, broadcasters, satellite/service users, vendors) could be affected if the targeted actions relate to them.

States and recipients of FCC directives: States implementing or relying on FCC directives could see changes in compliance obligations.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Introduced: April 16, 2026.

Referral: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (same day).

Next steps (typical for this markup): Committee consideration, potential markup, votes in committee, and, if advanced, floor consideration by the House. Any passage would require reconciliation with the Senate and presidential signature to become law.

Additional Context (General)

Bills that invalidate agency actions are commonly used when Congress disagrees with specific regulatory moves or seeks to pause regulatory changes while considering alternative approaches.

The practical impact depends on the enumerated FCC actions and the bill’s effective date and any sunset or transitional provisions, which would be detailed in the full text.

Summary Statement

HR 8354 proposes that identified FCC actions shall have no force or effect, effectively nullifying those regulatory measures. The bill is in the early stages of the legislative process and has been introduced and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Readers should consult the full bill text for precise definitions of the targeted actions and any accompanying provisions that govern implementation, enforcement, and transition.

Bill