Bill > HR2817

This bill aims to streamline the deployment of communications facilities in floodplain areas by exempting such projects from certain environmental and historical preservation review requirements. Specifically, the bill creates an exemption for communications facility projects that are entirely within a floodplain and require a permit or approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Under this legislation, these projects would no longer be subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process, which typically requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impact of major actions, nor would they be considered an "undertaking" under the National Historic Preservation Act, which typically requires evaluation of potential impacts on historic properties. The bill defines a "communications facility" using an existing definition from the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, and clarifies that "Federal authorization" includes various permits, special use authorizations, and approvals required for such projects. The goal appears to be reducing regulatory barriers to broadband infrastructure deployment in coastal and flood-prone regions by simplifying the review process for communications facility installations.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2817/all-info