PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 24, 2025
Wireless Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act
This bill exempts projects that involve the installation or modification of certain wireless communications facilities from specified federal environmental and historic preservation review requirements.
Specifically, the bill exempts from review projects that involve (1) the mounting or installation of an eligible personal wireless service facility with an eligible personal wireless service facility that exists when an authorization request for the mounting or installation is filed with a state or local government or an Indian tribe; or (2) the modification of an eligible personal wireless service facility. To be exempt, the projects must also require a permit or other authorization from, or are otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of, the Federal Communications Commission.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Under the bill, an eligible personal wireless service facility means an antenna, apparatus, or transmitting device and associated equipment for the provision of personal wireless communications service.
The bill specifies that these projects are not considered major federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or undertakings under the National Historic Preservation Act, thus exempting such projects from the review procedures required under those acts.
People & committees
Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6] · R–OH
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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: May 1, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-24 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 Wireless Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act would change how certain wireless equipment projects are treated under federal environmental and historic-preservation laws. It covers installing equipment with an existing wireless facility or modifying a facility, where the Federal Communications Commission has authority. Federal approvals for covered projects could not be classified as a “major Federal action” under the cited environmental law, and covered projects could not be classified as historic-preservation “undertakings.” These are legal classifications used to determine review requirements.
This Act may be cited as the Wireless Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act.
A Federal authorization with respect to a covered project may not be considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
A covered project may not be considered an undertaking under section 300320 of title 54, United States Code.
The term covered project means a project— (A) for— (i) the mounting or installation of an eligible personal wireless service facility with another eligible personal wireless service facility that exists at the time at which a complete request for authorization of such mounting or installation is filed with a State or local government or instrumentality thereof or with an Indian Tribe; or (ii) the modification of an eligible personal wireless service facility; and (B) for which a permit, license, or approval from the Commission is required or that is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission.
For installation alongside another facility, the other facility would have to exist when a complete authorization request is filed with a state or local government, one of its governmental bodies, or an Indian Tribe. Modifying an eligible facility would also qualify. Both categories would require Federal Communications Commission approval or otherwise fall under its authority.
The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.
The term covered project means a project— (A) for— (i) the mounting or installation of an eligible personal wireless service facility with another eligible personal wireless service facility that exists at the time at which a complete request for authorization of such mounting or installation is filed with a State or local government or instrumentality thereof or with an Indian Tribe; or (ii) the modification of an eligible personal wireless service facility; and (B) for which a permit, license, or approval from the Commission is required or that is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission.
A federal authorization for a covered project could not be treated as a major federal action under the cited National Environmental Policy Act provision. The restriction concerns that legal classification; the text does not expressly waive every environmental requirement.
(a) NEPA exemption A Federal authorization with respect to a covered project may not be considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
A covered project could not be treated as an “undertaking” under the cited historic-preservation statute. This would exclude the project from that statutory classification.
(b) National Historic Preservation Act exemption A covered project may not be considered an undertaking under section 300320 of title 54, United States Code.
Eligible facilities would include antennas and transmitting devices, along with supporting equipment such as wiring, power sources, shelters, and cabinets used to provide personal wireless service. The service definition incorporates an existing Communications Act definition and also includes commercial mobile data service.
The term eligible personal wireless service facility means any antenna, apparatus, or transmitting device, and any equipment, switches, wiring, cabling, power sources, shelters, or cabinets, for the provision of a personal wireless service.
The term personal wireless services— (A) has the meaning given such term in section 332(c)(7)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(c)(7)(C)); and (B) also includes commercial mobile data service (as defined in section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401)).
The environmental classification restriction would apply to any federally required authorization for a covered project, including permits, special-use authorizations, certifications, opinions, and other federal approvals.
A Federal authorization with respect to a covered project may not be considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
The term Federal authorization— (A) means any authorization required under Federal law with respect to a covered project; and (B) includes any permits, special use authorizations, certifications, opinions, or other approvals as may be required under Federal law with respect to a covered project.
References to a state would include the District of Columbia and every U.S. territory or possession. The bill would use the existing federal statutory definition of an Indian Tribe.
The term State means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and each territory or possession of the United States.
The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term Indian tribe under section 102 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5130).
The supplied action snapshot, updated May 1, 2025, records introduction in the House on February 24, 2025, and referral that day to the Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources committees, each for provisions within its jurisdiction.
Source snapshot updated 2025-05-01T18:31:51Z.
2025-02-24: Introduced in House
2025-02-24: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-24. 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 is limited to that version and does not establish attachment history or the contents of other materials.
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 is limited to that version; accompanying earmark materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The text contains project-specific regulatory exemptions central to the bill's policy. Identifying this preferential treatment does not determine whether it is justified.
Entities undertaking covered wireless installations or modifications would receive exemptions from the specified environmental and historic-preservation classifications. The treatment is limited to the defined wireless projects under Federal Communications Commission authority and forms the bill's main policy.
A Federal authorization with respect to a covered project may not be considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
A covered project may not be considered an undertaking under section 300320 of title 54, United States Code.
The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.
The term covered project means a project— (A) for— (i) the mounting or installation of an eligible personal wireless service facility with another eligible personal wireless service facility that exists at the time at which a complete request for authorization of such mounting or installation is filed with a State or local government or instrumentality thereof or with an Indian Tribe; or (ii) the modification of an eligible personal wireless service facility; and (B) for which a permit, license, or approval from the Commission is required or that is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission.
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