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.
Streamlining Permitting to Enable Efficient Deployment of Broadband Infrastructure Act of 2021 This bill exempts certain broadband infrastructure project actions from specified environmental and historic preservation review requirements. Specifically, the bill exempts (1) new communications facilities within specified dimensions in public rights-of-way, (2) replacement facilities that are of a similar type, (3) certain small antennas, (4) facility expansions within specified limits, and (5) new easements for facilities on federal property for which easements were previously granted for other facilities.
Connecting Communities Post Disasters Act of 2021 This bill exempts projects that replace or make improvements to communications facilities following a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency from certain environmental or historic preservation review requirements. Specifically, the bill exempts these projects from any requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. These projects are also exempt from considerations about the effect they will have on any historic property.
Wildfire Wireless Resiliency Act This bill exempts from certain environmental or historic preservation review requirements a project that replaces or makes improvements to a communications facility following a governor-declared major disaster or emergency related to a wildfire. Specifically, the bill exempts these projects from any requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. These projects are also exempt from considerations about the effect they will have on any historic property.
Wireless Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act This bill excludes certain personal wireless facility projects from specified review requirements. Specifically, the bill excludes from specified environmental and historic preservation review a project that involves the mounting, installation, or modification of eligible personal wireless facilities (i.e., antennas, apparatuses, transmitting devices, and related equipment for the provision of personal wireless service).
Cable Transparency Act This bill modifies the term and termination of cable franchises. Specifically, the bill provides that a cable franchise shall continue without any requirement for an operator to renew such franchise until the date the franchise is revoked or terminated. Under current law, a cable operator must submit a proposal for renewal of the franchise to the franchising authority. The bill prohibits generally (1) a franchising authority from revoking a franchise, (2) a cable operator from terminating a franchise, or (3) the revocation or termination of a franchise by operation of law. However, a cable operator may terminate a franchise by submitting a written request to the franchising authority for the revocation of such franchise, and a franchising authority may revoke a franchise if it (1) finds that the cable operator has knowingly and willfully failed to meet a material requirement of the franchise, (2) provides the cable operator an opportunity to cure such failure, and (3) does not waive or acquiesce to the failure to meet the requirement. Further, during a franchise period, a cable operator may obtain the elimination or modification of a franchise requirement by submitting a request for such elimination or modification to the franchising authority. The franchising authority shall grant such request if the cable operator demonstrates good cause and shows that the services required by the franchise will be maintained.
Brownfields 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 brownfield site (real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant).
