Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act
The Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act would require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit a plan to Congress within 180 days detailing how the office will track the acceptance, processing, and disposal of Form 299s—applications used to authorize siting and modifying communications facilities on federal public lands. The plan must also describe how to increase transparency for applicants about the status of their Form 299 and how to implement the tracking system as quickly as possible, while identifying any barriers to implementation. The bill defines key terms (such as what counts as a “communications use” and what constitutes “covered land”) to clarify the scope, which centers on Form 299s tied to locating or modifying wireless facilities on public lands and National Forest System lands. In short, the bill seeks to improve visibility and timeliness in the processing of Form 299 applications on federal lands by requiring a formal plan to track each submission, provide applicant transparency, and identify implementation obstacles, with oversight by specific congressional committees.
Key Points
- 1Plan requirement and deadline: Within 180 days of enactment, the Assistant Secretary must deliver to appropriate congressional committees a plan describing how to track the acceptance, processing, and disposal of Form 299s for communications use on federal lands, how to increase applicant transparency, and how to expeditiously implement the plan.
- 2Transparency and speed: The plan must specify how applicants will be kept informed about the status of their Form 299 and how the process will be implemented more quickly.
- 3Barrier identification: The plan must identify any potential barriers to implementing the tracking and transparency system as identified by the Assistant Secretary.
- 4Definitions and scope: The bill provides precise definitions for terms such as “appropriate congressional committees,” “Assistant Secretary,” “communications facility,” “communications use,” “communications use authorization,” “covered land,” “Form 299,” and “public lands” to delineate the scope and parties involved.
- 5Form 299 focus and land types: The Act centers on Form 299 filings under the statutory framework surrounding 6409(b)(2)(A) of the 2012 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (or any successor form), specifically for communications use on public lands and National Forest System land.