A bill to amend the National Marine Sanctuary Act to prohibit requiring an authorization for the installation, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or State agency.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Official Summary
Official summary has not been imported yet.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™This bill proposes an amendment to the National Marine Sanctuary Act to prevent the requirement of a new authorization for the installation, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables within national marine sanctuaries if these activities have already been authorized by a Federal or State agency. Essentially, it seeks to streamline regulatory processes for undersea fiber optic cable projects in protected marine areas by recognizing prior authorizations.
The bill aims to reduce regulatory duplication for undersea fiber optic cable activities in national marine sanctuaries by exempting them from additional authorization if previously approved by other agencies.
- Amends the National Marine Sanctuary Act to limit additional authorization requirements for undersea fiber optic cable activities.
- Applies only if the activities have been previously authorized by a Federal or State agency.
- Focuses on installation, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables within national marine sanctuaries.
['Telecommunications companies involved in undersea fiber optic cable projects', 'Federal and State agencies responsible for authorizing such projects', 'Operators and maintainers of undersea fiber optic infrastructure']
['Potential reduction in oversight within national marine sanctuaries due to exemption from additional authorization', 'Possible challenges in coordinating between Federal and State authorizations and sanctuary protections', 'Unclear how environmental impacts specific to sanctuaries will be addressed without separate review']
The bill was introduced in the Senate during the 118th Congress and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It is related to regulatory processes affecting public lands and natural resources, specifically marine sanctuaries. The bill status is noted as Failed / Expired, indicating it did not advance to enactment during the session.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential acceleration of undersea fiber optic cable projects due to streamlined authorization processes.', 'Possible diminished environmental review specific to national marine sanctuaries, which could affect sanctuary conservation goals.', "Increased reliance on Federal and State agencies' environmental assessments and authorizations."]
The absence of a full bill text and official summary limits detailed analysis. The bill's exemption from additional authorization within national marine sanctuaries raises transparency and oversight considerations, particularly regarding environmental protections. Monitoring interagency coordination and the sufficiency of prior authorizations will be important for assessing implementation impacts.
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