Congressional Accountability Tracker

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 261 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 261

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary 
    of Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other 
  authorization for, the installation, continued presence, operation, 
 maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a 
national marine sanctuary if such activities have been authorized by a 
                        Federal or State agency.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Undersea Cable Protection Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER 
              AUTHORIZATIONS FOR, UNDERSEA FIBER OPTIC CABLES 
              AUTHORIZED BY A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY.

    The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) is 
amended by inserting after section 310 the following:

``SEC. 310A. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER 
              AUTHORIZATIONS FOR, UNDERSEA FIBER OPTIC CABLES 
              AUTHORIZED BY A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY.

    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
the Secretary may not prohibit, or require any permit, including any 
special use permit, or other authorization for, the installation, 
continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of 
undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if a 
license, lease, or permit has been issued by a Federal or State agency, 
and is in effect, authorizing such installation, continued presence, 
operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery.
    ``(b) Interagency Cooperation.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as altering existing requirements regarding interagency 
cooperation under section 304(d) in any Federal agency action described 
in that section and involving the installation, continued presence, 
operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic 
cables in a national marine sanctuary.''.

SEC. 3. REMOVING RESTRICTIONS ON ACTIVITIES COVERED BY SANCTUARY 
              SPECIAL USE PERMITS.

    Section 310(c) of National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 
1441(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); and
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (2).

            Passed the House of Representatives February 11, 2026.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
119th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 261

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary 
    of Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other 
  authorization for, the installation, continued presence, operation, 
 maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a 
national marine sanctuary if such activities have been authorized by a 
                        Federal or State agency.
Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Full Text
