Wireless Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act

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 subject to the approval of the Federal Communications Commission that involves the placement, modification, or construction of personal wireless facilities (e.g., antennas, apparatuses, and transmitting devices) for the provision of personal wireless service.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7357 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7357

 To provide that a request for the collocation of a personal wireless 
  service facility is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
   prepare certain environmental or historical preservation reviews.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2020

 Mr. Johnson of Ohio 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 collocation of a personal wireless 
  service facility 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 ``Wireless Broadband Competition and 
Efficient Deployment Act''.

SEC. 2. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FROM NEPA AND NHPA FOR WIRELESS 
              COLLOCATIONS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered project.--The term ``covered project'' means 
        the placement, modification, or construction of an eligible 
        personal wireless facility that exists at the time at which a 
        complete request for such authorization is filed with a State 
        or local government or instrumentality thereof.
            (2) Eligible personal wireless service facility.--The term 
        ``eligible personal wireless service facility'' means any 
        antenna, apparatus, transmitting device, and any equipment, 
        switches, wiring, cabling, power sources, shelters, or 
        cabinets, for the provision of personal wireless service.
            (3) Personal wireless service.--The term ``personal 
        wireless service'' means--
                    (A) commercial mobile service (as defined in 
                section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
                U.S.C. 332(d)));
                    (B) commercial mobile data service (as defined in 
                section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job 
                Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401));
                    (C) unlicensed wireless service; and
                    (D) common carrier wireless exchange access 
                service.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the 50 States, the 
        District of Columbia, the territories and possessions of the 
        United States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe.
    (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 those 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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