Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3343) to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to Congress a plan for the Assistant Secretary to track the acceptance, processing, and disposal of certain Form 299s, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3343, the Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act. This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to develop a plan for tracking the broadband permitting applications on Federal lands.

Broadband is essential to participate in everyday activities. Americans rely on their internet for their work, healthcare, education, and more. Congress has provided billions of dollars to close the digital divide. The NTIA is in the process of administering the $42.45 billion BEAD program and must ensure that these dollars are spent wisely.

Too often, broadband deployment is delayed or prevented due to unnecessary red tape in the form of burdensome permitting requirements. Federal agencies are some of the biggest culprits behind the red tape, delaying the deployment of broadband to the communities that are in need.

The process of application approval for some of these permits has unfortunately become duplicative, ineffective, and time consuming. Worse, there is no transparency in the process.

Opaque Federal permitting review processes leave applicants in the dark on whether their application is complete, where it is in the review process, and when they can finally expect a decision.

The Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act addresses these concerns by providing clarity into the Federal permitting process, giving applicants transparency into the status of their reviews and improving the processing speed and disposition of applications.

Mr. Speaker, this is an important moment in time, and we must do all we can to ensure that every American can access reliable broadband.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the bill's sponsor.

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, if the gentleman is ready to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is very essential because, again, as we have seen, broadband is absolutely essential for everyday Americans.

As we think about what happened during COVID, Americans were shut in, and they relied on broadband for everything from education to telehealth to business. It went across the board.

It is absolutely essential we get this bill passed today, and I urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3343, the Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act.

Over the past 4 years, the Biden administration has worked hard to implement historic investments made by Congress in the bipartisan infrastructure law to expand broadband access to all Americans.

This includes the $42 billion BEAD program, which will empower States and territories to close the digital divide and bring high-speed, affordable internet to unserved and underserved communities.

It should come as no surprise that many of the communities lacking internet access are rural, remote, and sparsely populated areas. Like in my own district, areas like Kenansville, Deer Park, Bull Creek, and Yeehaw Junction. Bringing this infrastructure to them will, in many cases, require crossing large geographic areas.

This is especially true in many of our Western States where significant amounts of territory are owned and managed by the Federal Government. H.R. 3343 is going to help bring more transparency to the status and progress of applications to deploy communications infrastructure on publicly owned and managed lands.

The bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to develop and implement a plan to assist communications providers in navigating the burdens of deploying communications infrastructure on public lands.

Ultimately, this bill should lead to more robust collaboration between those responsible for reviewing permit applications for Federal lands and communications providers who are trying to bring high-speed internet to all of our constituents.

I thank Representative Pfluger for his leadership on this bill that I was happy to co-introduce with him. This bipartisan legislation is the product of regular order, and I am pleased to see it taken up by the full House today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to get this done for the American people. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me time.

I rise in support of my legislation, the Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act. This bill is essential to improving transparency and efficiency in the broadband deployment process, which will help close the digital divide for rural Americans.

According to a 2024 GAO study on broadband deployment, the BLM and Forest Service, which handle most of the permitting reviews on Federal lands, often exceed the 270-day statutory deadline for processing applications. Lengthy application reviews, excessive fees, and complex environmental and historic preservation reviews mean delays in providing service and higher prices leaving ordinary Americans without basic broadband services.

My legislation is simple. It requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to submit a comprehensive plan to Congress within 180 days detailing how the agency will track the acceptance, processing, and disposal of broadband permitting applications on Federal lands. These applications are essential for accessing easements and rights-of-way to build or maintain telecommunications infrastructure. The NTIA will also be responsible for detailing how quickly they will implement their plan and any potential barriers that they could face.

The Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act is a critical step toward a more connected America. By enhancing government accountability and accelerating broadband deployment, we are not just improving a process, we are investing in the future of our Nation. This act will help ensure that investments in broadband expansion reach Americans more quickly and effectively.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. Together, we can close the digital divide and create a more connected future for all Americans.