Bill > HR278

This bill, known as the BROADBAND Leadership Act, aims to streamline the process for telecommunications companies to place, construct, or modify their service facilities by establishing clear guidelines for state and local governments. The bill amends Section 253 of the Communications Act of 1934 to prevent states and local governments from discriminating against telecommunications facilities based on technology or services provided. It mandates that government entities must grant or deny requests for facility placement within specific timeframes: 90 days for eligible support infrastructure and 150 days for other facilities. If a request is not processed within these timeframes, it is automatically deemed approved. The bill also sets requirements for fees that governments can charge, ensuring they are competitively neutral, transparent, and based on actual direct costs. Additionally, the bill provides a mechanism for judicial review if a telecommunications company believes a local government has improperly handled their facility placement request, and allows the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to preempt local regulations that violate the bill's provisions. The legislation preserves some state authority to manage public rights-of-way and protect consumer interests while fundamentally aiming to reduce bureaucratic barriers to broadband infrastructure deployment.

Business and Industry

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/278/all-info