119-s2873

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2873 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2873

 To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an 
 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 previously been 
 authorized by a Federal or State agency.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

Mrs. Blackburn introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
 referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an 
 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 previously 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 REQUIRING AUTHORIZATIONS FOR UNDERSEA FIBER 
 OPTIC CABLES PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED BY FEDERAL OR STATE 
 AGENCIES.

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

section 310 (16 U.S.C. 1441) the following:

``

SEC. 310A. PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING AUTHORIZATIONS FOR UNDERSEA FIBER 
 OPTIC CABLES PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED BY FEDERAL OR STATE 
 AGENCIES.

 ``

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
the Secretary may not prohibit or require any 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 authorizing such installation, continued presence, operation, 
maintenance, repair, or recovery.
 ``

    (b) Interagency Cooperation.--The Secretary may direct the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in 
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.''.
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