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S 2873 119th Congress Senate Transportation and Public Works Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Introduced: September 18, 2025 Introduced by: Blackburn, Marsha Republican · Tennessee See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 18, 2025
Introduced in Senate
Sep 18, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
 Votes taken on this bill 1
DateChamberWhat was voted onResultYes–No
Nov 29, 2016 Senate · vote #154 On Passage of the Bill S. 2873 Passed 970 See who voted →
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 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.  

What's happening now September 18, 2025

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

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 10

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

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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2873: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-2873/
MLA
"S. 2873: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-2873/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 2873, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-2873/.
Markdown link
[S. 2873: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-2873/)
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