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H.R. 261 119th Congress House

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Official title: To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary of Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other authorization for, the in… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary of Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other 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 been authorized by a Federal or State agency

Introduced: January 9, 2025 Introduced by: Earl L. "Buddy" Carter Republican · Georgia See on congress.gov
Public Lands and Natural Resources Broadcasting, cable, digital technologiesMarine and coastal resources, fisheries
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White House position
Supports Statement of Administration Policy · Trump administration · Feb 11, 2026 Read the SAP
 Everywhere this bill has been 24 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 12, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Feb 11, 2026
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Feb 11, 2026
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Feb 11, 2026
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2162)
Feb 11, 2026
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 261, the Chair put the question on motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Mr. Carbajal demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
Feb 11, 2026
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1057 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one motion to recommit H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617, and one motion to commit S. 1383.
Feb 11, 2026
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2169-2171)
Feb 11, 2026
Rule provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one motion to recommit H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617, and one motion to commit S. 1383.
Feb 11, 2026
On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 214 - 216 (Roll no. 66).
Feb 11, 2026
The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
Feb 11, 2026
Mr. Carbajal moved to recommit to the Committee on Natural Resources. (text: CR H2166)
Feb 11, 2026
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
Feb 11, 2026
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 261.
Feb 11, 2026
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1057. (consideration: CR H2161-2166)
Feb 9, 2026
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1042 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one hour of debate and one motion to recommit on each bill.
Jul 2, 2025
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 146.
Jul 2, 2025
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-181.
Jun 25, 2025
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Jun 25, 2025
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18.
Jun 25, 2025
Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged
Jan 23, 2025
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Jan 21, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
Jan 9, 2025
Introduced in House
Jan 9, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
 Votes taken on this bill 2
DateChamberWhat was voted onResultYes–No
Feb 11, 2026 House · vote #67 On Passage Passed 218–212 See who voted →
Feb 11, 2026 House · vote #66 On Motion to Recommit Failed 214–216 See who voted →
 Amendments to this bill 1

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

1 agreed to

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
HAMDT 165 – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1057, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Co… Agreed to Feb 11, 2026
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What's happening now February 12, 2026

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

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

This bill prohibits the Department of Commerce from enforcing certain permit requirements for activities related to undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries. 

Specifically, Commerce may not prohibit or require an authorization for any covered activities related to undersea fiber optic cables if a license, lease, or permit has been issued by a state or federal agency to authorize the covered activity. Covered activities are the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary.

The bill also authorizes Commerce to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in interagency cooperation regarding federal agency actions that are likely to destroy, cause the loss of, or injure a resource in a national marine sanctuary and involve covered activities.  

 Hearings & markups 2
 Related & companion bills 3
  • S 2873 Identical bill Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
  • HRES 1042 Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2189) to modernize Federal firearms laws to account for advancements in t…
  • HRES 1057 Providing for consideration of the bill (S. 1383) to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for…
 Bill text 4 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Lobbying activity 24

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

Bodies those filers lobbied

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

See all 24 filings →
 Cosponsors 7
All 7 Republican 7
R
Begich, Nicholas J.
Alaska · Jun 25, 2025
 R
Bentz, Cliff
Oregon · Feb 12, 2025
 R
Cammack, Kat
Florida · Jan 9, 2025
 R
Dunn, Neal P.
Florida · Jan 9, 2025
 R
Fry, Russell
South Carolina · Jan 9, 2025
 R
Kiggans, Jennifer A.
Virginia · Jan 9, 2025
 R
Pfluger, August
Texas · Jan 9, 2025
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 261: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-261/
MLA
"H.R. 261: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-261/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 261, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-261/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 261: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-261/)
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