HR 5264119th CongressIntroduced

SPEED for Broadband Infrastructure Act of 2025

Introduced: Sep 10, 2025

InfrastructureTechnology & Innovation

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The SPEED for Broadband Infrastructure Act of 2025 would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to streamline federal permitting for certain new or replacement wireless facilities by exempting a defined set of projects from major environmental and historic preservation reviews. Specifically, it creates a new Section 14 that says covered projects and covered easements on federal property may not be treated as “major Federal actions” under NEPA, nor as “undertakings” under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The bill preserves some reviews and regulatory duties (notably RF exposure considerations and certain state/local authorities) and sets precise conditions that determine which projects qualify as “covered.” The aim is to accelerate deployment of broadband infrastructure, particularly in public rights-of-way (ROW), while narrowing the scope of federal environmental and historic preservation review for specific, small-scale wireless deployments.

Key Points

1Exemption for covered projects from NEPA and NHPA
2- A federal authorization for a covered project may not be considered a major Federal action under NEPA.
3- A covered project may not be considered an NHPA “undertaking.”
4- However, certain protections and obligations remain: RF exposure evaluation under NEPA may still occur; general NEPA compliance outside the explicit exemption remains possible; and local zoning and related land-use authorities can still apply consistent with the statute.
5Exemption for covered easements on federal property
6- If a covered easement has previously been granted for another facility on the same federal property, a new covered easement may also avoid NEPA major-action status and NHPA undertakings related to that property.
7Definitions shaping what counts as a covered project
8- Covered project: placement and installation of a new communications facility meeting one of several criteria:
9- Located in a public right-of-way and not taller than 50 feet or not more than 10 feet taller than the tallest structure in the right-of-way, whichever is higher.
10- A replacement for an existing facility and substantially similar to the facility being replaced.
11- A facility of a type described in 6409(d)(1)(B) of the 2012 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act and meeting the Commission’s small-antenna size limits.
12- Involves expanding the site of an existing facility by no more than 30 feet in any direction.
13Coverage and scope definitions
14- Federal authorization covers any required federal permits or approvals.
15- Public right-of-way is defined to include areas on, below, or above roads and adjacent lands, but excludes components of the Interstate System.
16- Wireless service, antenna, communications facility, and utility facility definitions align with established federal telecom and infrastructure concepts.
17Possible constraints and guardrails
18- The savings clause preserves certain existing authorities, including local zoning consistency and the Commission’s RF exposure considerations.
19- The Act relies on specific numeric thresholds (e.g., height limits, expansion caps) to determine eligibility as a covered project.
20- The bill keeps the possibility that some federal or state reviews or requirements still apply outside the enumerated exemptions.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Wireless service providers, broadband infrastructure developers, and equipment manufacturers seeking to deploy small-cell and similar facilities in public ROWs.Secondary group/area affected- Federal agencies reviewing projects and issuing permits, as well as federal property managers who may grant easements.- State and local governments that administer zoning and land-use rules; communities that rely on ROW planning processes.Additional impacts- Potentially faster deployment of broadband infrastructure and 5G/next-generation wireless networks in eligible ROW projects.- Reduced federal environmental and historic preservation review for a subset of projects, which could lessen certain protections but preserve RF exposure assessment and some regulatory mechanisms.- Possible tensions between streamlined federal reviews and local/community environmental, historic preservation, or aesthetic considerations, depending on local processes and the precise implementation.NEPA: National Environmental Policy Act, which requires environmental impact reviews for major federal actions.NHPA: National Historic Preservation Act, which protects historic resources and requires consultation for federal undertakings.6409(d): A provision from the 2012 FCC reform law that streamlined review for certain wireless facility modifications.Public right-of-way: Typically streets, roads, sidewalks, and adjacent areas controlled or licensed for public use; the bill excludes Interstate System land from ROW definitions.The bill is introduced in the 119th Congress as H.R. 5264 on September 10, 2025.It is referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and also to the Committee on Natural Resources, for consideration of provisions falling within their jurisdictions.Sponsor identified as Mr. Goldman of Texas (though some lines list “Sponsor: Unknown”). The text calls the measure the STREAMLINING PERMITTING TO ENABLE EFFICIENT DEPLOYMENT FOR BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2025, aka SPEED for Broadband Infrastructure Act of 2025.

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