PLAN for Broadband Act
Sponsored By: Senator Roger Wicker
Introduced
Summary
Creates a national strategy to coordinate and speed up federal broadband programs and reviews. It would set limits on how much tech-specific grant money can go to a single location, require agencies to fix delays on federal land applications, lower the environmental-review threshold for covered projects, and clarifies it does not authorize governments to regulate broadband internet access service.
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- Federal agencies and applicants for easements, rights-of-way, or leases would have to identify and remedy causes of review delays and use alerts when a 270-day deadline is at risk. This targets faster decisions on projects that need federal land access.
- Broadband program managers and providers would face a new per-location funding ceiling for programs that favor specific technologies. NTIA must publish a national strategy and an implementation plan for public comment.
- Infrastructure projects costing between $5 million and $200 million would become eligible for expedited federal environmental review because the bill lowers the FAST Act “covered project” threshold to $5 million from $200 million.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
National plan to coordinate broadband programs
If enacted, the Assistant Secretary would have to write a national Strategy to coordinate federal broadband programs within 1 year. The plan would list federal and relevant state programs, find gaps, and set roles and performance goals. The plan must address permitting, Tribal lands, technological neutrality, and fraud prevention. A follow-up Implementation Plan would be required within 120 days to set common application rules, reporting standards, and a subsidy ceiling per location for some programs.
Limits on government broadband regulation
If enacted, the bill would say that nothing in the Act gives federal, state, local, or Tribal governments the authority to regulate broadband internet access service. This is a legal rule of construction and would limit new government regulation of broadband service.
Agency data tracking to speed broadband
If enacted, agencies that handle broadband applications would have to track processing times and keep accurate data. Agencies must analyze delay factors, set internal alerts for applications at risk of missing the 270-day deadline, and report delay causes to Congress yearly. Agency heads would also have to report within 60 days after enactment on steps taken since May 15, 2023 to help populate the Deployment Locations Map and list data submission challenges.
GAO review and congressional briefings
If enacted, the Government Accountability Office would study, within one year after the Implementation Plan is submitted, how well the Strategy coordinates federal broadband funding. The GAO would recommend improvements and send results to Congress. The Assistant Secretary and agency reps would also brief Congress soon after the plan is submitted and then every 90 days while implementation proceeds.
More NEPA reviews for broadband projects
If enacted, the bill would count broadband construction projects that are subject to NEPA and likely to cost over $5,000,000 as meeting a specified FAST Act threshold. That means more broadband build projects could face NEPA-related processes and compliance costs. The change would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Roger Wicker
MS • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 1/29/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 1/29/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov