S. 866 – Accelerating Broadband Permits Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:11 AM UTC

The Accelerating Broadband Permits Act directs federal agencies to improve how they track and process broadband permit applications, aiming to meet the existing 270‑day deadline. It requires agencies to collect accurate data, analyze and address delay causes, report annually to Congress, and alert staff to at‑risk applications. The bill also clarifies that projects costing over $5 million, involving broadband infrastructure and subject to NEPA, are considered minimum‑cost broadband projects under the FAST Act.

Key Provisions

Executive agencies must set up data controls to accurately track how long each communications‑use (broadband) permit application takes.
Agencies must analyze any factors causing delays, take steps to fix them, and report each year to the relevant Senate and House committees on those delay factors.
Agencies must create a system that warns staff when an application is in danger of missing the 270‑day processing deadline.
The FAST Act is amended to define a “minimum broadband project” as one that (a) is subject to NEPA, (b) involves building broadband infrastructure, and (c) is expected to cost more than $5 million.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text: CR S1581)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

March 5, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 5, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text: CR S1581)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

March 5, 2025

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 866 on the floor

1 Republican

Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Mar 5, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Mar 5, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 5, 2025

II

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 866

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 5, 2025

Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Luján, and Mr. Barrasso) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To require executive agencies to take steps to better meet the statutory deadline for processing communications use applications, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Accelerating Broadband Permits Act.

2.

Tracking and improving processing times for communications use applications

Section 6409(b)(3) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1455(b)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(E)

Tracking and improving processing times

(i)

Data controls

An executive agency shall develop controls to ensure that data is sufficiently accurate and complete to track the processing time for each application described in subparagraph (A).

(ii)

Requirement to analyze, address, and report on delay factors

With respect to the factors that contribute to delays in processing applications described in subparagraph (A), an executive agency shall—

(I)

analyze the factors as the delays are occurring;

(II)

take actions to address the factors; and

(III)

provide an annual report on the factors to—

(aa)

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;

(bb)

the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;

(cc)

the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives;

(dd)

the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and

(ee)

each committee of Congress with jurisdiction over the executive agency.

(iii)

Method for alerting staff to at-risk applications

An executive agency shall establish a method to alert employees of the executive agency to any application described in subparagraph (A) with respect to which the executive agency is at risk of failing to meet the 270-day deadline under that subparagraph.

.

3.

Minimum broadband project cost

Section 41001(6)(A) of the FAST Act (42 U.S.C. 4370m(6)(A)) is amended—

(1)

in clause (iii), by striking or at the end;

(2)

by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and

(3)

by inserting after clause (iii) the following:

(iv)

(I)

is subject to NEPA;

(II)

involves the construction of infrastructure for broadband; and

(III)

is likely to require a total investment of more than $5,000,000; or

.