Bill would require federal plan to track broadband permit applications
Passed one chamberH.R. 1343Latest action
Sponsor: August Pfluger · Representative · TX
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act
119th Congress
Topics: AI & technology
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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HR 1343 requires a federal plan within 180 days to track broadband permit applications on federal land, not new siting rules.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
HR 1343, the Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act, requires the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to create a plan for tracking "Form 299" applications, which companies file to build communications equipment on federal land. The plan, due to Congress within 180 days, must explain how to track applications from start to finish, improve status updates for applicants, and identify obstacles to building such a tracking system.
Who does it affect?
Telecommunications and broadband companies that apply for permits to install equipment on federal land managed by agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, or National Forest System. Rural and underserved communities could be indirectly affected.
Why does it matter?
The bill does not change who can build broadband infrastructure or where, and it sets no deadlines for approving individual permits. It focuses only on internal government tracking and transparency, so any effect on actual broadband deployment speed would depend on how the plan is later implemented.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedFeb 13, 2025
- House committee
- House vote
- SenateYou are here · Apr 21, 2026
- The president's desk
Right now: it passed the House, and the official record shows nothing new since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.