Floor SpeechNeutral2026-04-20

EXPEDITING FEDERAL BROAD- BAND DEPLOYMENT REVIEWS ACT

HealthcareEnvironmentTradeLaborInfrastructureAgriculture

Context

On 2026-04-20, Representative Gabe Evans (R-CO-8) delivered a floor speech titled "EXPEDITING FEDERAL BROAD- BAND DEPLOYMENT REVIEWS ACT" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered the environment, trade policy. It referenced legislation: HR1681.

Full Text

EXPEDITING FEDERAL BROAD- BAND DEPLOYMENT REVIEWS ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 69 (Monday, April 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 69 (Monday, April 20, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2971-H2973] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] EXPEDITING FEDERAL BROAD- BAND DEPLOYMENT REVIEWS ACT Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1681) to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an interagency strike force to ensure that certain Federal land management agencies, including the organizational units of such agencies, prioritize the review of requests for communications use authorizations, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1681 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act''. SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY STRIKE FORCE. (a) Interagency Strike Force.-- (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall establish an interagency strike force to ensure that each Federal land management agency, including each organizational unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for communications use authorizations. (2) Members.--The strike force shall be composed of-- [[Page H2972]] (A) the Assistant Secretary; (B) the head of each Federal land management agency; (C) a designee of the Secretary of Agriculture, other than the Chief of the Forest Service; and (D) a designee of the Secretary of the Interior, other than the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. (3) Duties.--The duties of the strike force shall include-- (A) conducting periodic calls between the members of the strike force to ensure that each Federal land management agency, including each organizational unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for communications use authorizations; (B) establishing objective and reasonable goals for the review of requests for communications use authorizations; and (C) monitoring, and facilitating the accountability of, each Federal land management agency, including each organizational unit of the agency, with respect to meeting such goals. (4) Report to congress.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the effectiveness of the strike force in ensuring that each Federal land management agency, including each organizational unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for communications use authorizations. (b) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means-- (A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; (C) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; (D) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate; (E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and (F) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. (2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. (3) Communications facility.--The term ``communications facility'' has the meaning given the term ``communications facility installation'' in section 6409(d) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1455(d)). (4) Communications use.--The term ``communications use'' means the placement and operation of a communications facility. (5) Communications use authorization.--The term ``communications use authorization'' means an easement, right-of-way, lease, license, or other authorization-- (A) provided by a Federal land management agency; (B) to locate or modify a communications facility on covered land; and (C) for the primary purpose of authorizing the occupancy and use of such land for communications use. (6) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means-- (A) public lands; and (B) National Forest System land. (7) Federal land management agency.--The term ``Federal land management agency'' means each of the following: (A) The Bureau of Land Management. (B) The Forest Service. (8) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest System'' has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)). (9) Organizational unit.--The term ``organizational unit'' means-- (A) with respect to the Bureau of Land Management-- (i) a State office; (ii) a regional office; (iii) a district office; or (iv) a field office; and (B) with respect to the Forest Service-- (i) a regional office; (ii) a management unit; or (iii) a ranger district office. (10) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702). (11) Strike force.--The term ``strike force'' means the interagency strike force established under subsection (a)(1). The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen) and the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. McClellan) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia. General Leave Mr. ALLEN. Madam 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 into the Record on the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Georgia? There was no objection. Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, sponsored by Representatives Evans and Craig. This legislation establishes an interagency strike force to help prioritize permitting reviews for deploying broadband on Federal lands. Broadband has become an essential part of everyday life. We need broadband for work, to stay connected with loved ones, and even for healthcare and education. However, too many Americans still lack access to broadband. Thus, Congress has provided billions of dollars to ensure that every American gets connected. Deploying on Federal lands is a critical part of closing the digital divide. Many unserved communities are near Federal lands, and thus broadband providers must transverse these lands to reach these unserved homes and businesses. Unfortunately, deploying broadband on Federal lands can be burdensome, particularly when it comes to the permitting process. Providers have testified that this complicated process moves slowly, and they are often left in the dark on the status of their applications. As a result, unserved communities are left without the broadband they need as providers wait for agencies to approve their permits. We need to reform the broadband permitting process. Not only do we need to streamline how we review permits, we need to ensure the agencies that manage Federal lands prioritize these reviews. H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, will help ensure this happens. H.R. 1681 directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to create an interagency strike force that includes the head of each Federal land management agency to ensure that they are prioritizing the review of broadband-permitting applications. In addition to holding periodic calls, the strike force will establish goals for the review of the requests, and monitor and hold each agency accountable for these goals. This strike force is necessary to expedite the permitting process so that every American has access to broadband. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, I thank the sponsors, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, which was introduced by Representatives Craig and Evans. When communications providers deploy broadband infrastructure, efficiency is critical to stretching their capital investments as far and to as many homes and businesses as possible. In the course of developing and comparing different ways to carry out a project, providers may determine that the most direct route to lay broadband infrastructure requires traversing lands owned and managed by the Federal Government. At the Energy and Commerce Committee, we have heard testimony from witnesses and hearings about delays and inefficiencies handling permit applications that are pending at the various agencies overseeing Federal lands. While environmental and historic preservation protections will always be of paramount importance to me, we should always strive to ensure that our agencies operate as efficiently as possible. With H.R. 1681, Congress can ensure agencies dispense with applications to deploy communications infrastructure more quickly, where no additional environmental or historic preservation due diligence is required. This bill requires the administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, to establish an interagency strike force that will improve collaboration between NTIA and the agencies and departments responsible for reviewing and approving communications use applications. Our intent is for NTIA to bring relevant parties together to identify obstacles and inefficiencies that have slowed progress in the past and collaborate on solutions to address these barriers going forward. This will ultimately expedite the deployment of [[Pag

Referenced legislation: HR1681, HR1681

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EXPEDITING FEDERAL BROAD- BAND DEPLOYMENT REVIEWS ACT Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 69 (Monday, April 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 69 (Monday, April 20, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2971-H2973] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] EXPEDITING FEDERAL BROAD- BAND DEPLOYMENT REVIEWS ACT Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1681) to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an interagency strike force to ensure that certain Federal land management agencies, including the organizational units of such agencies, prioritize the review of requests for communications use authorizations, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1681 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act''. SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY STRIKE FORCE. (a) Interagency Strike Force.-- (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall establish an interagency strike force to ensure that each Federal land management agency, including each organizational unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for communications use authorizations. (2) Members.--The strike force shall be composed of-- [[Page H2972]] (A) the Assistant Secretary; (B) the head of each Federal land management agency; (C) a designee of the Secretary of Agriculture, other than the Chief of the Forest Service; and (D) a designee of the Secretary of the Interior, other than the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. (3) Duties.--The duties of the strike force shall include-- (A) conducting periodic calls between the members of the strike force to ensure that each Federal land management agency, including each organizational unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for communications use authorizations; (B) establishing objective and reasonable goals for the review of requests for communications use authorizations; and (C) monitoring, and facilitating the accountability of, each Federal land management agency, including each organizational unit of the agency, with respect to meeting such goals. (4) Report to congress.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the effectiveness of the strike force in ensuring that each Federal land management agency, including each organizational unit of the agency, prioritizes the review of requests for communications use authorizations. (b) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means-- (A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; (C) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; (D) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate; (E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and (F) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. (2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. (3) Communications facility.--The term ``communications facility'' has the meaning given the term ``communications facility installation'' in section 6409(d) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1455(d)). (4) Communications use.--The term ``communications use'' means the placement and operation of a communications facility. (5) Communications use authorization.--The term ``communications use authorization'' means an easement, right-of-way, lease, license, or other authorization-- (A) provided by a Federal land management agency; (B) to locate or modify a communications facility on covered land; and (C) for the primary purpose of authorizing the occupancy and use of such land for communications use. (6) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means-- (A) public lands; and (B) National Forest System land. (7) Federal land management agency.--The term ``Federal land management agency'' means each of the following: (A) The Bureau of Land Management. (B) The Forest Service. (8) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest System'' has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)). (9) Organizational unit.--The term ``organizational unit'' means-- (A) with respect to the Bureau of Land Management-- (i) a State office; (ii) a regional office; (iii) a district office; or (iv) a field office; and (B) with respect to the Forest Service-- (i) a regional office; (ii) a management unit; or (iii) a ranger district office. (10) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702). (11) Strike force.--The term ``strike force'' means the interagency strike force established under subsection (a)(1). The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen) and the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. McClellan) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia. General Leave Mr. ALLEN. Madam 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 into the Record on the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Georgia? There was no objection. Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, sponsored by Representatives Evans and Craig. This legislation establishes an interagency strike force to help prioritize permitting reviews for deploying broadband on Federal lands. Broadband has become an essential part of everyday life. We need broadband for work, to stay connected with loved ones, and even for healthcare and education. However, too many Americans still lack access to broadband. Thus, Congress has provided billions of dollars to ensure that every American gets connected. Deploying on Federal lands is a critical part of closing the digital divide. Many unserved communities are near Federal lands, and thus broadband providers must transverse these lands to reach these unserved homes and businesses. Unfortunately, deploying broadband on Federal lands can be burdensome, particularly when it comes to the permitting process. Providers have testified that this complicated process moves slowly, and they are often left in the dark on the status of their applications. As a result, unserved communities are left without the broadband they need as providers wait for agencies to approve their permits. We need to reform the broadband permitting process. Not only do we need to streamline how we review permits, we need to ensure the agencies that manage Federal lands prioritize these reviews. H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, will help ensure this happens. H.R. 1681 directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to create an interagency strike force that includes the head of each Federal land management agency to ensure that they are prioritizing the review of broadband-permitting applications. In addition to holding periodic calls, the strike force will establish goals for the review of the requests, and monitor and hold each agency accountable for these goals. This strike force is necessary to expedite the permitting process so that every American has access to broadband. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, I thank the sponsors, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, which was introduced by Representatives Craig and Evans. When communications providers deploy broadband infrastructure, efficiency is critical to stretching their capital investments as far and to as many homes and businesses as possible. In the course of developing and comparing different ways to carry out a project, providers may determine that the most direct route to lay broadband infrastructure requires traversing lands owned and managed by the Federal Government. At the Energy and Commerce Committee, we have heard testimony from witnesses and hearings about delays and inefficiencies handling permit applications that are pending at the various agencies overseeing Federal lands. While environmental and historic preservation protections will always be of paramount importance to me, we should always strive to ensure that our agencies operate as efficiently as possible. With H.R. 1681, Congress can ensure agencies dispense with applications to deploy communications infrastructure more quickly, where no additional environmental or historic preservation due diligence is required. This bill requires the administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, to establish an interagency strike force that will improve collaboration between NTIA and the agencies and departments responsible for reviewing and approving communications use applications. Our intent is for NTIA to bring relevant parties together to identify obstacles and inefficiencies that have slowed progress in the past and collaborate on solutions to address these barriers going forward. This will ultimately expedite the deployment of [[Pag Referenced legislation: HR1681, HR1681