Rep. Virginia Foxx

Broadband Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act This bill provides statutory authority for the 60-day time frame for a state or local government that receives a complete eligible facilities request or a complete telecommunications facilities request to approve such request. The bill makes other changes related to such requests, including expanding the definition of eligible facilities request to include any request for the modification of an existing wireless tower, base station, or eligible support structure that involves the placement, modification, or construction of equipment that improves the resiliency of the wireless tower, base station, or eligible support structure and provides a direct benefit to public safety; and defining eligible telecommunications facilities request as any request for modification of an existing telecommunications service facility in or on an eligible support infrastructure that involves collocation, removal, or replacement of telecommunications service facility equipment.

Coastal Broadband Deployment Act This bill excludes certain communications facility deployment or modification projects from specified review requirements. Specifically, the bill excludes from specified environmental and historic preservation review a project for the deployment or modification of a communications facility that is to be carried out entirely within a floodplain (the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters).

Standard Fees to Expedite Evaluation and Streamlining Act or the Standard FEES Act This bill requires the General Services Administration to establish a common fee schedule for the processing of certain wireless facilities deployment applications, including (1) the grant of an easement, right-of-way, or lease to, in, over, or on property owned by the federal government; and (2) communications facility installation sitings. Such fees shall be competitively neutral and based on direct and actual cost recovery. Further, any fee collected shall only be available to cover the costs of granting such easement, right-of-way, or lease as provided in advance in an appropriations bill.

Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to submit a report on tracking Form 299 requests. Form 299 is the application form for the right to install, construct, modify, or maintain a communications facility on federal real property. Such report must include (1) a plan describing how the NTIA will track a Form 299 submitted by a requesting party, (2) a description of how the NTIA would most expeditiously implement such plan, (3) a way to increase transparency to a requesting party on the status of a Form 299, and (4) an assessment of barriers that could delay implementation of the plan.

Connecting And Building Lines for Expedited Expansion Act or the CABLE Expansion Act This bill modifies the requirements governing decisions about the placement, construction, or modification of a facility that provides cable service to subscribers using an easement or public right-of-way. A franchise authority (i.e., a state or local entity that regulates certain aspects of cable operators) may not regulate the placement, construction, or modification of such facilities in a manner that effectively prohibits a cable operator from providing or enhancing its service under a franchise granted by the authority. Additionally, a franchise authority must approve or deny a complete request to place, construct, or modify a facility within specified time frames. The denial of a request must be in writing, supported by substantial evidence contained in a written record, and publicly released at the same time as the decision is made.

Reducing Antiquated Permitting for Infrastructure Deployment Act or the RAPID Act This bill modifies review requirements for deployment of a small personal wireless service facility and establishes a presumption related to the deployment of wireless facilities on properties owned by an Indian tribe or a Native Hawaiian organization. Specifically, the bill exempts the deployment of a small personal wireless service facility from specified environmental and historic preservation review requirements. The bill also establishes a rebuttable presumption that a wireless provider has completed a request for review if an Indian tribe or a Native Hawaiian organization has received certain completed forms with information reasonably necessary to ascertain whether historic properties of religious and cultural significance may be affected by the deployment of new or collocated wireless facilities.

Wireless Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act This bill provides statutory authority for the 60-day time frame for a state or local government that receives a complete eligible facilities request to approve such request. Further, the bill makes other changes related to eligible facilities requests, including expanding the definition of such requests to include any requests for the modification of an existing wireless tower, base station, or eligible support structure that involves the placement, modification, or construction of equipment that improves the resiliency of the wireless tower, base station, or eligible support structure and provides a direct benefit to public safety.

Barriers and Regulatory Obstacles Avoids Deployment of Broadband Access and Needs Deregulatory Leadership Act or the BROADBAND Leadership Act This bill limits the authority of, and places deadlines on, a state or local government over decisions regarding the placement, construction, and modification of telecommunications service facilities. Specifically, the bill requires that the regulation of the placement, construction, or modification of a telecommunications service facility by any state or local government shall not unreasonably discriminate among providers of functionally equivalent services. Further, any decision to deny a placement, construction, or modification request must be in writing and supported by substantial evidence in a written record. Additionally, a state or local government must grant or deny a complete request for authorization to place, construct, or modify a telecommunications service facility within 90 days of receipt of the request or within 150 days of receipt of a request to take any other action relating to such facility. A state or local government is authorized to charge a reasonable, objective, cost-based fee for (1) review of a request, or (2) use of a right-of-way or a facility in a right-of-way that is owned or managed by the state or local government.

Winning the International Race for Economic Leadership and Expanding Service to Support Leadership Act or the WIRELESS Leadership Act This bill limits the authority of, and places deadlines on, a state or local government over decisions regarding the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities. Specifically, the bill requires that the regulation of the placement, construction, or modification of a personal wireless service facility by any state or local government shall not unreasonably discriminate among providers of the same service, including by providing exclusive or preferential use of facilities to a particular class of providers. However, a state or local government may establish reasonable and nondiscriminatory structural engineering standards, safety requirements, and aesthetic or concealment requirements for certain facilities. Additionally, a state or local government must grant or deny a complete request for authorization to place, construct, or modify certain personal wireless service facilities within 90 days of receipt of the request or within 150 days of receipt of a request to take any other action relating to such facilities. A state or local government is authorized to charge a reasonable, objective, cost-based fee for review of a request or for use of a right-of-way or a facility in a right-of-way owned or managed by the local authority.

Timely Replacement Under Secure and Trusted for Early and Dependable Broadband Networks Act or the TRUSTED Broadband Networks Act This bill excludes from specified environmental and historic preservation reviews a project to permanently remove and replace communications equipment or services that the Federal Communications Commission has determined pose a threat to national security.