Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
This bill changes the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to protect undersea fiber optic cables. It prevents the Department of Commerce from requiring additional authorizations for cables that have already been authorized by state or federal agencies. The bill also encourages the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to work with other federal agencies to ensure actions related to these cables don’t harm national marine sanctuaries.
Key provisions
- Prevents Commerce from requiring new authorizations for existing undersea fiber optic cable installations.
- Applies to activities like installation, operation, maintenance, repair, and recovery of cables.
- Covers activities within national marine sanctuaries.
- Allows existing licenses, leases, or permits to be honored.
- Authorizes Commerce to coordinate with NOAA for interagency cooperation.
- Directs NOAA to engage in interagency cooperation regarding potential harm to marine sanctuaries.
Who is affected
- Department of Commerce
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Federal agencies
- State agencies
- Operators of undersea fiber optic cables
Notable changes
- Modifies the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prioritize existing authorizations for undersea cables.
Bill text
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Sponsors
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2 on record
Primary sponsor
Cosponsor
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