H. Rpt. 119-485 accompanies infrastructure legislation titled "Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act". Infrastructure bills affect highways, bridges, airports, transit, water systems, broadband, ports, or federal buildings. The Energy and Commerce Committee's report describes the infrastructure need, the proposed federal investment or regulatory change, and projected economic and community benefits. Infrastructure reports typically include analysis of safety, efficiency, environmental impact, and regional effects.
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House Report 119-485 - FEDERAL BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT TRACKING ACT
[House Report 119-485]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 119-485
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FEDERAL BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT TRACKING ACT
_______
February 4, 2026.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Guthrie, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1343]
The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1343) to require the Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to
Congress a plan for the Assistant Secretary to track the
acceptance, processing, and disposal of certain Form 299s, and
for other purposes, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the
bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 1
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Committee Action................................................. 2
Committee Votes.................................................. 3
Oversight Findings and Recommendations........................... 5
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures 5
Congressional Budget Office Estimate............................. 5
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 5
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 5
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 5
Related Committee and Subcommittee Hearings...................... 5
Committee Cost Estimate.......................................... 6
Earmark, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits....... 6
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 6
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 6
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 6
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 6
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
H.R. 1343, the ``Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking
Act,'' introduced on February 13, 2025, was introduced by
Representatives Austin Pfluger (R-TX) and Darren Soto (D-FL).
It would direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information to develop a plan to track the
acceptance, processing, and disposal of applications to deploy
communications facilities on federal property.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The United States faces a persistent digital divide.
According to the Federal Communications Commission,
approximately 5.8 million homes and businesses lack access to
fixed broadband at 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload, while 31
percent of the geographic area of the United States lacks 4G
LTE mobile broadband coverage at speeds of 5 Mbps/1 Mbps.\1\ A
significant amount of these unserved locations are near
property owned by the federal government. This property is
managed by agencies such as the Department of Interior,
Department of Agriculture, and General Services Administration
(GSA).
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\1\Fed. Commc'n. Comm'n., FCC National Broadband Map, https://
broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home (last updated Sept. 3, 2025).
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In 2018, Congress directed GSA to develop a common
application for federal agencies to use for requests to site
communications facilities on federal property.\2\ This common
application is the Special Form (SF) 299.\3\
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\2\47 U.S.C. Sec. 1455(b)(3)(A).
\3\Gen. Serv. Admin., Standard Form 299, https://www.gsa.gov/
system/files/SF-299%20OMB%20Control%20Number%200596-0249.pdf.
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Federal agencies have historically taken a significant
amount of time to review SF-299s, and the process is often
opaque to the other parties involved.\4\ Indeed, even though an
SF-299 is required for applications, different agencies can
require additional information.\5\ Further, agencies are not
always clear on what they need or where applications are in the
review process. Agencies can go silent ``for long stretches of
time regarding the status of applications or what else might be
needed to deem an application `complete,''' followed by
``serial requests for additional information that could have
been caught earlier or avoided altogether with better guidance
and communication upfront.''\6\ This process leads to
uncertainty and significant project delays.\7\
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\4\Breaking Barriers: Streamlining Permitting to Expedite Broadband
Deployment, Hearing before the Sub. on Commc'n. and Tech., H. Comm. on
Energy and Commerce, 118th Cong. (2023) (``Permitting Hearing'')
(Testimony of Michael Saperstein).
\5\Id.
\6\See Permitting Hearing (Written Testimony of Michael Romano).
\7\See Permitting Hearing (Written Testimony of Michael Romano at
8).
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COMMITTEE ACTION
On March 5, 2025, the Subcommittee on Communications and
Technology held a hearing entitled, ``Fixing Biden's Broadband
Blunder.'' The Subcommittee received testimony from:
Grant Spellmeyer, President and CEO, ACA
Connects
Tim Donovan, President and CEO, Competitive
Carriers Association
Greg Hale, CEO, LTC Connect
Sarah Morris, Former Acting Deputy
Administrator, National Telecommunications and
Information Administration
On September 18, 2025, the Subcommittee on Communications
and Technology held a legislative hearing entitled, ``Examining
Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting.'' The Subcommittee
received testimony from:
Jonathan Spalter, President and CEO,
USTelecom--The Broadband Association
Patrick Halley, President and CEO, Wireless
Infrastructure Association
Staci Pies, Senior Vice President of
Government Affairs and Policy, INCOMPAS
Drew Garner, Director of Policy Engagement,
Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
On November 18, 2025, the Subcommittee on Communications
and Technology met in open markup session and forwarded H.R.
1343, without amendment, to the full Committee by a voice vote.
On December 3, 2025, the full Committee on Energy and Commerce
met in open markup session and ordered H.R. 1343, without
amendment, favorably reported to the House by a record vote of
49 yeas and 0 nays.
COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII requires the Committee to list the
record votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments
thereto. The following reflects the record votes taken during
the Committee consideration:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Pursuant to clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII, the Committee held a hearing and made findings that
are reflected in this report.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII, the Committee
finds that H.R. 1343 would result in no new or increased budget
authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or
revenues.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII, at the time this
report was filed, the cost estimate prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was not available.
FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general
performance goal or objective of this legislation is to
expedite broadband deployment by streamlining the permitting
process at the federal, state, and local level.
DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, no provision of
H.R. 1343 is known to be duplicative of another Federal
program, including any program that was included in a report to
Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or the
most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
RELATED COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII, the following
related hearing was used to develop or consider H.R. 1343:
On March 5, 2025, the Subcommittee on
Communications and Technology held a hearing entitled,
``Fixing Biden's Broadband Blunder.'' The Subcommittee
received testimony from:
Grant Spellmeyer, President and
CEO, ACA Connects
Tim Donovan, President and CEO,
Competitive Carriers Association
Greg Hale, CEO, LTC Connect
Sarah Morris, Former Acting
Deputy Administrator, National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration
On September 18, 2025, the Subcommittee on
Communications and Technology held a hearing on H.R. 1665. The
title of the hearing was ``Examining Solutions to Expedite
Broadband Permitting.'' The Subcommittee received testimony
from:
Jonathan Spalter, President and
CEO, USTelecom--The Broadband Association
Patrick Halley, President and
CEO, Wireless Infrastructure Association;
Patrick Halley, President and
CEO, Wireless Infrastructure Association; and,
Drew Garner, Director of Policy
Engagement, Benton Institute for Broadband &
Society
COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. At the time this report was
filed, the estimate was not available.
EARMARK, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF BENEFITS
Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the
Committee finds that H.R. 1343 contains no earmarks, limited
tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION
Section 1. Short title
This section designates that the short title may be cited
as the ``Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act.''
Section 2. Plan for Assistant Secretary to track the acceptance,
processing, and disposal of certain form 299s
Subsection (a) would direct the Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Communications and Information (Assistant
Secretary) to submit to Congress a plan to track the
acceptance, processing, and disposal of each Form 299 for
communications use authorization; provide applicants with
additional transparency on the status of their Form 299; and
how the plan could be implemented expeditiously. The Assistant
Secretary would also be required to identify any potential
barriers to implementing this plan.
Subsection (b) would define key terms used in H.R. 1343.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
This legislation does not amend any existing Federal
statute.
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