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S 866 119th Congress Senate Science, Technology, Communications

Accelerating Broadband Permits Act

Introduced: March 5, 2025 Introduced by: Thune, John Republican · South Dakota See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 5, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text: CR S1581)
Mar 5, 2025
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Accelerating Broadband Permits Act

This bill makes specified changes to processes for federal review of certain communications and broadband infrastructure projects. 

Specifically, the bill requires executive branch agencies to identify and address factors that contribute to delays in their review of applications for easements, rights-of-way, or leases related to communications infrastructure projects. (Under current law, executive branch agencies with control over buildings or property may grant such easements, rights-of-way, or leases to entities seeking to install, construct, modify, or maintain communications facilities. Generally, agencies must act on such applications within 270 days.) 

Under the bill, agencies must develop controls to ensure accurate tracking of processing times for such applications and take action to address factors contributing to delays as they occur. Agencies must also establish methods to alert employees when the agency is at risk of failing to meet the 270-day deadline with respect to a particular application. (These provisions were recommended by the Government Accountability Office in an April 2024 report to Congress entitled Broadband Deployment: Agencies Should Take Steps to Better Meet Deadline for Processing Permits.) 

Separately, the bill lowers the cost threshold for certain broadband infrastructure projects to qualify as covered projects under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act from $200 million to $5 million. Such projects qualify for expedited federal environmental review.

What's happening now March 5, 2025

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

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 323 Related bill PLAN for Broadband Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 5

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

 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Democratic 1 Republican 1
R
Barrasso, John
Wyoming · Mar 5, 2025
 D
Luján, Ben Ray
New Mexico · Mar 5, 2025
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 866: Accelerating Broadband Permits Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-866/
MLA
"S. 866: Accelerating Broadband Permits Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-866/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 866, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-866/.
Markdown link
[S. 866: Accelerating Broadband Permits Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-866/)
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