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HR2289119th CongressWALLET

American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]

In Committee

Summary

Sets strict review deadlines and automatic approvals to speed broadband and cable builds while preserving limited local rights‑of‑way control. It creates clear timelines, tolling rules, and evidence‑based denials so projects can move faster without hidden fees.

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  • Local governments and franchising authorities must act within set clocks or face a deemed grant. Key deadlines include 60 days for eligible facilities and 120 days for cable franchise actions and franchise changes, and denials must be written with substantial evidence.
  • Broadband and cable deployers get faster approvals and clearer rules. The bill expands eligible facilities to cover wireline modifications and small wireless upgrades, adds 60‑day deemed approvals for those requests, and requires FCC implementing rules within 180 days.
  • Tribes and environmental review processes are narrowed for covered projects and include a 45‑day tribal response presumption for certain filings; federal NEPA and historic preservation exceptions apply to specified covered projects.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Faster permits and siting rules for providers

This bill would set short, uniform review clocks for many network siting requests. Covered equipment requests would be decided in 90 days if on eligible support infrastructure or in 150 days otherwise. Personal wireless requests would generally be 60 days for small facilities on existing structures, 90 days for other small sites, 90 days for non-small on existing structures, and 150 days for other non-small sites. The bill would expand the 60-day 'eligible facilities' approval rule to many wireline changes; if officials do not act within 60 days, the request would be treated as approved the next day. It would also define what counts as a covered project, limit how and when a review clock can be paused (initial incompleteness notices, 30/10 day rules, one mutual 30-day pause), ban moratoria and pre-application prerequisites, bar officials from forcing unrelated studies or third-party conduit payments, allow emergency repairs with prompt notice, and stop local rules that discriminate among providers or effectively ban service.

New cable franchise rules for operators

This bill would set strong deadlines and protections for cable franchise applicants and operators. Franchising authorities would have 120 days to approve or deny franchise applications or elimination/modification requests, or the request would be treated as granted the day after 120 days. An operator could terminate a franchise by written notice, effective 90 days after submission, and revocation by the authority would be allowed only for willful, material failures after a chance to cure. Transfers to new parties would be allowed if the transferee accepts existing terms, and an authority that acquires a system after revocation would pay fair market value.

Limits on siting fees and charges

This bill would limit what fees governments can charge to process siting and placement requests. Fees would have to be nondiscriminatory, competitively and technology neutral, publicly posted in advance, and based only on actual, direct costs for review, repairs, or replacement. Fees would be described as one-time or recurring and would not count as franchise fees under section 622. The Assistant Secretary would report to Congress within 180 days on fees charged where grant funds are used.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]

GA • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12]

    GA • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]

    VA • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5]

    OH • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9]

    IN • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Fry, Russell [R-SC-7]

    SC • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Goldman, Craig A. [R-TX-12]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/15/2026

  • Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 4/15/2026

  • Rep. Balderson, Troy [R-OH-12]

    OH • R

    Sponsored 4/15/2026

  • Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/15/2026

  • Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 4/15/2026

  • Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1]

    TN • R

    Sponsored 4/15/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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