Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA) has introduced the Public Lands Telecommunications Act (H.R. 2425) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill aims to support the siting of broadband infrastructure on or near federal lands. Specifically, H.R. 2425 would allow federal land management agencies, such as the National Park Service and the Forest Service, to collect and retain fees for authorizing land under their jurisdiction for communications use through a right-of-way, permit, or lease. The bill would also establish a special Treasury account for each federal land management agency to deposit rental fees associated with communications use authorizations, and it would require the retained fees to be used for activities related to communications sites. H.R. 2425 has been referred to the House Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees for consideration.
