To amend the National Marine Sanctuary Act to prohibit requiring an authorization for the installation, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or State agency.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · November 20, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
This bill would modify the National Marine Sanctuary Act to streamline the approval process for undersea fiber optic cables. Currently, companies installing these cables in marine sanctuaries must obtain authorization from both federal or state agencies and from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the sanctuaries. The bill would eliminate the requirement for sanctuary authorization if a company already has a valid license, permit, or lease from another federal or state agency for the same cable project. The bill still allows NOAA to cooperate and coordinate with other federal agencies on these projects but prevents it from imposing additional separate authorization requirements. The legislation aims to reduce regulatory duplication and expedite the deployment of undersea fiber optic infrastructure while maintaining environmental oversight through existing federal and state regulatory processes.
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