PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11] · R–TX
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 16, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.R.10695 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.R.10695 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.R.10695 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.R.10695 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.
PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-10-01 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 would change how companies and other applicants obtain permission to bring undersea cables ashore or operate them. It would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt standard and enhanced security requirements, set application deadlines, and automatically approve some applications if deadlines are missed. Qualifying applicants could bring cables ashore while awaiting a license, but generally could not operate them yet. These are proposed changes; the supplied history records introduction and committee referral.
This Act may be cited as the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026.
In promulgating the rules required by paragraph (2), the Commission shall also adopt a suite of enhanced security measures
If the Commission does not approve or deny an application submitted under subsection (a) during the period required by subparagraph (A), such application shall be deemed to be approved on the day after the last day of such period.
This subsection does not authorize an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable to operate such cable until such time as such license is issued by the Commission, except that such applicant may operate such cable to the extent necessary to construct and test such cable.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-16T03:04:56Z. 2026-10-01: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2026-10-01: Introduced in House
The bill would assign licensing responsibilities to the FCC and security-policy responsibilities to the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector, or its successor. Below, “Committee” refers to that body.
(1) Commission The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission. (2) Committee The term Committee means the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector established by Executive Order 13913 (85 Fed. Reg. 19643) (or any successor to such Committee).
A person seeking a license to land or operate a submarine cable shall submit to the Commission an application for such license.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Committee shall, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, and after seeking and considering input from interested parties, establish and submit to the Commission a general, forward-looking policy, to be known as the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy
Within 180 days after enactment, the Committee would have to submit a forward-looking cable security policy to the FCC. It would consult the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and seek and consider input from interested parties.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Committee shall, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, and after seeking and considering input from interested parties, establish and submit to the Commission a general, forward-looking policy, to be known as the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy
The policy would address potential security concerns involving direct cable connections between the United States and foreign countries, including countries covered by a referenced statute. It would also address cable construction partnerships involving providers of communications equipment or services on a referenced security list. The supplied text does not identify those countries or listed equipment and services.
that identifies and seeks to address potential security concerns relating to— (i) the provision of a license to land or operate a submarine cable directly connecting the United States and a foreign nation; (ii) the provision of a license to land or operate a submarine cable directly connecting the United States and a covered nation (as defined in section 4872(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code); and (iii) arrangements regarding the construction of submarine cables in consortium, partnership, or cooperation with entities that produce or provide communications equipment or services on the list published under section 2 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601).
The Committee would recommend standard and enhanced security measures. The FCC would have to consider those recommendations and adopt its security rules within 180 days after the policy is submitted to it.
The Committee, taking into consideration the requirements described in paragraphs (2) and (3), shall include in the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy a recommended suite of standard security measures and a recommended suite of enhanced security measures with respect to the landing and operation of submarine cables. The Commission shall consider such recommended measures in promulgating the rules required by such paragraphs.
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy is submitted to the Commission, the Commission shall promulgate rules to adopt a suite of standard security measures
In promulgating the rules required by paragraph (2), the Commission shall also adopt a suite of enhanced security measures
Standard security requirements would become license conditions except where enhanced requirements apply. They would cover physical security, supply-chain security, cybersecurity and physical-security risk management plans, and providers of equipment or services on the referenced security list.
with which the Commission shall (except in circumstances described in paragraph (3)) require compliance as a condition of a license issued by the Commission to land or operate such a cable, that— (A) address physical security and supply chain security; (B) require, or incorporate appropriate elements of the rules of the Commission with respect to, the implementation of a cybersecurity and physical security risk management plan by a person who holds such a license; and (C) address entities that produce or provide communications equipment or services on the list published under section 2 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601).
Enhanced security requirements would apply when issuing a license could pose a national-security risk that standard requirements do not address.
the Commission shall require compliance as a condition of a license issued by the Commission to land or operate a submarine cable in circumstances in which the issuance of such license may pose a risk to national security interests of the United States that is not addressed by the standard security measures adopted under such paragraph.
For matters covered by the adopted security measures, the FCC could not condition a license on entering or complying with a separate Committee security agreement, or on obtaining the Committee’s prior approval or non-objection after notice.
In issuing a license to land or operate a submarine cable, the Commission may not place on such license a condition, with respect to any matter that is the subject of a security measure adopted under paragraph (2) or (3), that— (A) requires the applicant to enter into a security or similar agreement with the Committee or comply with any such agreement; or (B) requires prior notice to and approval or non-objection of the Committee.
Within 180 days after the policy is submitted to it, the FCC would have to adopt rules, coordinated with the Committee, for national-security review of applications seeking to overcome foreign-adversary disqualification presumptions. The underlying FCC rules defining those conditions are not supplied, so their detailed scope cannot be established here.
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy is submitted to the Commission, the Commission shall— (1) in coordination with the Committee, promulgate rules regarding referral to and consideration by the Committee, for review of risks to national security interests of the United States, of an application for a license to land or operate a submarine cable with respect to which the applicant seeks to overcome a foreign adversary presumptive disqualifying condition or foreign adversary cable landing presumptive disqualifying condition in the rules of the Commission
The FCC would have to allow applicants to self-certify under specified ownership criteria. One route would require a license issued within the preceding 48 months to the applicant or an affiliate wholly owned by the same person as the applicant, together with no material, non-pro-forma changes to the applicant’s ownership structure since that license was issued. Another would require at least 40 percent cable ownership by entities meeting that first test. The FCC could establish other qualifying ownership criteria.
promulgate rules that permit an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable to self-certify— (A) if the Commission has issued such a license to such applicant (or to an affiliate of such applicant that is wholly owned by the same person as such applicant) in the 48-month period preceding the date on which the relevant application is submitted, that there have been no material, non-pro forma changes to the ownership structure of such applicant since the issuance of the previous license; (B) that such submarine cable is at least 40-percent owned by entities that would meet the criteria for self-certification under subparagraph (A) if such entities were applying for such license; or (C) that such applicant meets such other ownership criteria as the Commission may establish as a basis for excluding an application from referral to the Committee under subsection (c)(2) of section 7 of the Cable Landing License Act, as added by this Act
Applicants would also be allowed to certify whether standard or enhanced security requirements apply to their cable. Both this rule and the ownership-certification rules would be due within 180 days after the policy is submitted to the FCC.
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy is submitted to the Commission, the Commission shall—
(2) promulgate rules that permit an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable to self-certify
(3) promulgate rules that— (A) permit an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable to self-certify whether the standard security measures adopted under subsection (a)(2) or the enhanced security measures adopted under subsection (a)(3) are applicable to the landing or operation of such cable
Holders of licenses issued before these rules take effect could petition to replace an existing Committee security agreement with the new standard or enhanced requirements. The requested category would have to apply to the cable when the petition is filed; the provision allows a petition rather than automatically replacing the agreement.
in the case of a person who holds a license to land or operate a submarine cable issued before the effective date of such rules that is conditioned on compliance with a security or similar agreement with the Committee, permit such licensee to petition the Commission to opt in to either the standard security measures adopted under subsection (a)(2) or the enhanced security measures adopted under subsection (a)(3) as a condition of such license, in place of compliance with such agreement, if the category of security measures proposed by such person would be applicable to the landing or operation of such cable on the date on which such petition is filed.
The bill would amend the Cable Landing License Act by replacing references to the President with the FCC in its first three sections and adding a new licensing process. It would also delete a passage in the first section, but the supplied bill does not reproduce that passage in full, so its complete effect cannot be determined from this text.
The Cable Landing License Act is amended— (A) in the first section— (i) by inserting in accordance with section 7 after has been issued; (ii) by striking the President of the United States and inserting the Commission; and (iii) by striking That any such cable and all that follows through That the conditions and inserting That the conditions; (B) in section 2— (i) by striking the President and inserting the Commission; and (ii) by striking he and inserting the Commission; (C) in section 3, by striking the President and inserting the Commission; and (D) by adding at the end the following: 7. Application for and issuance of license to land or operate submarine cable
The FCC would have 20 days after an application is submitted or amended to tell the applicant whether it is accepted for filing. If rejected for filing, the notice would have to explain why and how to correct it. The applicant would have 10 days after receiving that notice to amend the application.
Not later than 20 days after the date on which an application is submitted under subsection (a) or amended under subparagraph (B), the Commission shall transmit to the applicant a notice that informs such applicant of— (i) whether or not such application is accepted for filing; and (ii) if such application is not accepted for filing, the basis for, and how such applicant may cure, the nonacceptance.
such applicant may, not later than 10 days after receiving such notice, amend such application to cure the nonacceptance.
If the FCC missed the filing-notice deadline, the application would automatically be accepted for filing the following day. Acceptance for filing is separate from approval of the license.
If the Commission does not transmit a notice as required by subparagraph (A) with respect to an application during the period required by such subparagraph, such application shall be deemed to be accepted for filing on the day after the last day of such period.
The Commission shall approve or deny an application submitted under subsection (a)
The FCC generally would have 45 days after notifying an applicant of filing acceptance, or after automatic acceptance, to approve or deny the application. If it referred the application to the Committee under the bill’s rules, the decision deadline would instead be one year from that starting point.
The Commission shall approve or deny an application submitted under subsection (a)— (i) except as provided in clause (ii), not later than 45 days after the date on which the Commission transmits to the applicant a notice under paragraph (1)(A) informing such applicant that such application is accepted for filing, or not later than 45 days after the date on which such application is deemed to be accepted for filing under paragraph (1)(C), as the case may be; or (ii) if the Commission refers such application to the Committee for review in accordance with subsection (c), not later than 1 year after the date on which the Commission transmits to the applicant a notice under paragraph (1)(A) informing such applicant that such application is accepted for filing, or not later than 1 year after the date on which such application is deemed to be accepted for filing under paragraph (1)(C), as the case may be.
Missing the applicable decision deadline would result in automatic approval the next day. A license resulting from that approval would still require compliance with the applicable standard or enhanced security measures. The bill separately excludes applications submitted before its applicability date from automatic approval.
If the Commission does not approve or deny an application submitted under subsection (a) during the period required by subparagraph (A), such application shall be deemed to be approved on the day after the last day of such period.
Compliance with the standard security measures adopted under paragraph (2) of section 2(a) of the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 or the enhanced security measures adopted under paragraph (3) of such section, as applicable, shall be a condition of a license to land or operate a submarine cable that is issued as a result of an application being deemed approved under this subparagraph.
except that subsections (b)(1)(C) and (b)(2)(B) of section 7 of the Cable Landing License Act, as added by this Act, shall not apply with respect to an application that was submitted to the Commission before such date.
The FCC could refer an application to the Committee only if the applicant sought to overcome one of the specified foreign-adversary disqualification presumptions or could not make both the ownership and security-category certifications. The provision permits referral in those circumstances; it does not itself require referral.
The Commission may refer an application submitted under subsection (a) to the Committee for review only if— (1) the applicant seeks to overcome a foreign adversary presumptive disqualifying condition or foreign adversary cable landing presumptive disqualifying condition in the rules of the Commission; or (2) the applicant is unable to make both— (A) the self-certification described in paragraph (2) of section 2(b) of the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 under the rules promulgated under such paragraph; and (B) the self-certification described in paragraph (3)(A) of such section under the rules promulgated under such paragraph.
The FCC could impose security conditions beyond the standard or enhanced measures only if the Committee petitioned for them and the FCC found the petition demonstrated a national-security risk that those measures did not address.
The Commission may not, as a condition of a license to land or operate a submarine cable, require compliance with any security measures other than the standard security measures adopted under paragraph (2) of section 2(a) of the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 or the enhanced security measures adopted under paragraph (3) of such section, unless the Committee submits to the Commission a petition that is found by the Commission to demonstrate that the issuance of such license without such additional security measures would pose a risk to national security interests of the United States that is not addressed by such standard security measures or enhanced security measures.
License holders would have to comply with their applicable standard or enhanced measures and any properly imposed additional measures. The FCC would enforce those duties as if they were part of the Communications Act of 1934, and violations would count as violations of that Act. The bill does not reproduce that Act’s enforcement provisions.
A person who holds a license to land or operate a submarine cable shall comply with— (A) the standard security measures adopted under paragraph (2) of section 2(a) of the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 or the enhanced security measures adopted under paragraph (3) of such section, as applicable to such license; and (B) any additional security measures on which such license is conditioned in accordance with subsection (d).
The Commission shall enforce paragraph (1) as if such paragraph is a part of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.). A violation of such paragraph shall be considered to be a violation of the Communications Act of 1934.
An applicant that made the ownership certification and whose application was not subject to a foreign-adversary cable-landing disqualification presumption could bring its cable ashore while its application was pending. Subject to the objection process, it could do so after the date 20 days following notice of its intent to both the FCC and the Committee.
Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, in the case of an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable that has made the self-certification described in paragraph (2) of section 2(b) of the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 under the rules promulgated under such paragraph and whose application is not subject to a foreign adversary cable landing presumptive disqualifying condition in the rules of the Commission, such applicant may land such cable subject to such pending application after the date that is 20 days after the date on which such applicant submits to the Commission and the Committee, in such manner as the Commission may by rule prescribe, a notification of the intent to land such cable under this paragraph.
Early landing would be blocked if the Committee objected during the 20-day notice period and the FCC concurred. Each agency would have to notify the applicant and the other agency of its position and reasons. If the FCC did not communicate concurrence or nonconcurrence with the Committee’s objection as required within that period, it would be deemed to concur on the final day.
An applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable may not land such cable under paragraph (1) if, during the 20-day period that begins on the date on which such applicant submits to the Commission and the Committee the notification described in such paragraph— (I) the Committee objects to the landing of such cable and informs the Commission and such applicant of such objection and the basis for such objection; and (II) the Commission concurs with such objection and informs the Committee and such applicant of such concurrence and the basis for such concurrence.
If, during the 20-day period described in clause (i), the Commission does not concur with the objection of the Committee and inform the Committee and the applicant under subclause (II) of such clause, or notify the Committee and such applicant of the nonconcurrence of the Commission with such objection and the basis for such nonconcurrence, the Commission shall be deemed to have concurred with such objection on the last day of such period.
An applicant could ask the FCC to withdraw its agreement with an early-landing objection. If the FCC found that the applicant’s submission addressed the objection’s basis, it could withdraw its agreement and allow landing under this provision.
If an applicant submits to the Commission a request for the Commission to withdraw the concurrence of the Commission under subparagraph (A) to an objection of the Committee to the landing of a submarine cable under paragraph (1) by such applicant, and if the Commission finds that the submission of such applicant addresses the basis for such objection, the Commission may withdraw such concurrence and such applicant may land such cable under paragraph (1).
Permission to bring a cable ashore early would not authorize operation before a license was issued, except as necessary for construction and testing. Applicants could still request special temporary authority from the FCC under its rules; those rules are not supplied.
This subsection does not authorize an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable to operate such cable until such time as such license is issued by the Commission, except that such applicant may operate such cable to the extent necessary to construct and test such cable.
Nothing in this subsection may be construed to preclude an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable from requesting from the Commission special temporary authority with respect to such cable, in accordance with the rules of the Commission.
Rules implementing the Cable Landing License Act amendments would be due within 180 days after the policy is submitted to the FCC. The new framework would apply to applications pending or submitted on or after the first date when all required rules are effective. Applications submitted before that date would be excluded from automatic filing acceptance and automatic approval.
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy is submitted to the Commission, the Commission shall promulgate rules to implement the amendments made by this subsection.
This section and the amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to an application for a license to land or operate a submarine cable under the Cable Landing License Act that is pending with the Commission on, or submitted to the Commission on or after, the first date on which all of the rules required to be promulgated by this section have taken effect, except that subsections (b)(1)(C) and (b)(2)(B) of section 7 of the Cable Landing License Act, as added by this Act, shall not apply with respect to an application that was submitted to the Commission before such date.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 16, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on October 1, 2026. This snapshot does not establish what happened afterward.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-16T03:04:56Z. 2026-10-01: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2026-10-01: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-10-01. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion applies only to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials, or document an amendment’s attachment history.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion applies only to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials. Formal earmark disclosures and related materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The findings identify conditional preferential treatment within the bill’s main licensing policy. Classification is not a judgment about whether that treatment is justified.
Applicants with a qualifying license issued within the preceding 48 months to themselves or an affiliate wholly owned by the same person, and no material, non-pro-forma ownership changes since that license was issued, would have a specified route to ownership self-certification. Another route would cover cables at least 40 percent owned by entities meeting that test; the FCC could establish other qualifying ownership criteria. Combined with certification of the applicable security category, ownership self-certification would exclude an application from Committee referral unless the applicant sought to overcome a specified foreign-adversary disqualification presumption. This preferential review treatment benefits qualifying applicants and ownership arrangements within the bill’s licensing policy.
promulgate rules that permit an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable to self-certify— (A) if the Commission has issued such a license to such applicant (or to an affiliate of such applicant that is wholly owned by the same person as such applicant) in the 48-month period preceding the date on which the relevant application is submitted, that there have been no material, non-pro forma changes to the ownership structure of such applicant since the issuance of the previous license; (B) that such submarine cable is at least 40-percent owned by entities that would meet the criteria for self-certification under subparagraph (A) if such entities were applying for such license; or (C) that such applicant meets such other ownership criteria as the Commission may establish as a basis for excluding an application from referral to the Committee under subsection (c)(2) of section 7 of the Cable Landing License Act, as added by this Act
The Commission may refer an application submitted under subsection (a) to the Committee for review only if— (1) the applicant seeks to overcome a foreign adversary presumptive disqualifying condition or foreign adversary cable landing presumptive disqualifying condition in the rules of the Commission; or (2) the applicant is unable to make both— (A) the self-certification described in paragraph (2) of section 2(b) of the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 under the rules promulgated under such paragraph; and (B) the self-certification described in paragraph (3)(A) of such section under the rules promulgated under such paragraph.
permit an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable to self-certify whether the standard security measures adopted under subsection (a)(2) or the enhanced security measures adopted under subsection (a)(3) are applicable to the landing or operation of such cable
Applicants that make the ownership self-certification described above and whose applications are not subject to a foreign-adversary cable-landing disqualification presumption would receive conditional permission to land a cable while their license applications remain pending. They could land after the date 20 days following notice to both the FCC and the Committee. A timely Committee objection would block landing if the FCC concurred; failure to communicate concurrence or nonconcurrence as required within the notice period would count as concurrence. The FCC could later withdraw concurrence on an applicant’s request if it found the submission addressed the objection’s basis. This eligibility-based exception benefits qualifying applicants within the licensing process, but would authorize pre-license operation only as necessary for construction and testing.
Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, in the case of an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable that has made the self-certification described in paragraph (2) of section 2(b) of the United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 under the rules promulgated under such paragraph and whose application is not subject to a foreign adversary cable landing presumptive disqualifying condition in the rules of the Commission, such applicant may land such cable subject to such pending application after the date that is 20 days after the date on which such applicant submits to the Commission and the Committee, in such manner as the Commission may by rule prescribe, a notification of the intent to land such cable under this paragraph.
An applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable may not land such cable under paragraph (1) if, during the 20-day period that begins on the date on which such applicant submits to the Commission and the Committee the notification described in such paragraph— (I) the Committee objects to the landing of such cable and informs the Commission and such applicant of such objection and the basis for such objection; and (II) the Commission concurs with such objection and informs the Committee and such applicant of such concurrence and the basis for such concurrence.
If, during the 20-day period described in clause (i), the Commission does not concur with the objection of the Committee and inform the Committee and the applicant under subclause (II) of such clause, or notify the Committee and such applicant of the nonconcurrence of the Commission with such objection and the basis for such nonconcurrence, the Commission shall be deemed to have concurred with such objection on the last day of such period.
If an applicant submits to the Commission a request for the Commission to withdraw the concurrence of the Commission under subparagraph (A) to an objection of the Committee to the landing of a submarine cable under paragraph (1) by such applicant, and if the Commission finds that the submission of such applicant addresses the basis for such objection, the Commission may withdraw such concurrence and such applicant may land such cable under paragraph (1).
This subsection does not authorize an applicant for a license to land or operate a submarine cable to operate such cable until such time as such license is issued by the Commission, except that such applicant may operate such cable to the extent necessary to construct and test such cable.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 16, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI