Coastal Broadband Deployment Act

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).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7333 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7333

   To provide that a request for the deployment or modification of a 
 communications facility entirely within a floodplain is categorically 
   excluded from the requirement to prepare certain environmental or 
                    historical preservation reviews.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2020

Mr. Bilirakis introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide that a request for the deployment or modification of a 
 communications facility entirely within a floodplain is categorically 
   excluded from the requirement to prepare certain environmental or 
                    historical preservation reviews.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coastal Broadband Deployment Act''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF NEPA AND NHPA TO FLOODPLAINS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Communications facility.--The term ``communications 
        facility'' includes--
                    (A) any wireless or wireline infrastructure for the 
                transmission of writing, signs, signals, data, images, 
                pictures, or sounds of all kinds;
                    (B) any transmitting device, tower, or support 
                structure, and any equipment, switches, wiring, 
                cabling, power sources, shelters, or cabinets, 
                associated with the provision of communications 
                service; and
                    (C) any antenna or apparatus that--
                            (i) is designed for the purpose of emitting 
                        radio frequency;
                            (ii) is designed to be operated, or is 
                        operating, from a fixed location; and
                            (iii) is added to a tower, building, or 
                        other structure.
            (2) Communications service.--The term ``communications 
        service'' means a service for the transmission of writing, 
        signs, signals, data, images, pictures, or sounds of all kinds.
            (3) Covered project.--The term ``covered project'' means a 
        project for the deployment or modification of a communications 
        facility that is to be carried out entirely within a floodplain 
        (as defined in section 9.4 of title 44, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, as of the date of enactment of this Act).
    (b) NEPA Categorical Exclusion.--
            (1) In general.--A covered project subject to the approval 
        of the Commission shall be categorically excluded from the 
        requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or an 
        environmental impact statement under section 102 of the 
        National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332).
            (2) Relation to extraordinary circumstances procedures.--
        The use of the categorical exclusion under paragraph (1) shall 
        not be considered to include extraordinary circumstances under 
        section 220.6 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, or 
        section 1508.4 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 
        successor to such regulations).
    (c) National Historic Preservation Act Exemption.--A covered 
project for which the Commission is required to issue a permit or that 
is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission shall not be 
considered an undertaking under section 300320 of title 54, United 
States Code.
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