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S. 2873Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Sponsored by Marsha BlackburnSen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Introduced September 18, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 9:54 PM UTC

The Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 amends the National Marine Sanctuaries Act so that once a federal or state agency has approved an undersea fiber‑optic cable, the federal government cannot demand an additional authorization for that cable within a national marine sanctuary. The change is aimed at streamlining the regulatory process for cable operators while still allowing inter‑agency coordination.

Key Provisions

  • Stops the Secretary of the Interior (through NOAA) from requiring any new permit, lease, or license for installing, operating, maintaining, repairing, or retrieving undersea fiber‑optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if a federal or state agency has already issued such authorization.
  • Allows the Secretary to direct NOAA to work with other federal agencies under existing interagency‑cooperation rules when dealing with undersea cable activities in sanctuaries.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

September 18, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 18, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

September 18, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 18, 2025

II

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2873

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

Mrs. Blackburn introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

A BILL

To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an authorization for the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or State agency.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025.

2.

Prohibition on requiring authorizations for undersea fiber optic cables previously authorized by Federal or State agencies

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 310 (16 U.S.C. 1441) the following:

310A.

Prohibition on requiring authorizations for undersea fiber optic cables previously authorized by Federal or State agencies

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Secretary may not prohibit or require any authorization for the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if a license, lease, or permit has been issued by a Federal or State agency authorizing such installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery.

(b)

Interagency cooperation

The Secretary may direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in interagency cooperation under section 304(d) in any Federal agency action described in that section and involving the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary.

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