H.R. 261: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
A House bill (H.R.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | House bill (H.R.) |
| Originating chamber | House |
| Introduced | 2025-01-09 |
| Sponsor | Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] |
| Policy area | Public Lands and Natural Resources |
| Cosponsors | 7 |
| Latest action | 2026-02-12 — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. |
| Last updated | 2026-07-13 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in House, 2025-01-09):
Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
This bill prohibits the Department of Commerce from enforcing certain permit requirements for activities related to undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries.
Specifically, Commerce may not prohibit or require an authorization for any covered activities related to undersea fiber optic cables if a license, lease, or permit has been issued by a state or federal agency to authorize the covered activity. Covered activities are the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary.
The bill also authorizes Commerce to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in interagency cooperation regarding federal agency actions that are likely to destroy, cause the loss of, or injure a resource in a national marine sanctuary and involve covered activities.
Cosponsors (7)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Neal P. Dunn | R FL (original cosponsor) 2025-01-09 |
| Kat Cammack | R FL (original cosponsor) 2025-01-09 |
| Jennifer A. Kiggans | R VA (original cosponsor) 2025-01-09 |
| Russell Fry | R SC (original cosponsor) 2025-01-09 |
| August Pfluger | R TX (original cosponsor) 2025-01-09 |
| Cliff Bentz | R OR 2025-02-12 |
| Nicholas J. Begich III | R AK 2025-06-25 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for H.R. 261 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
View H.R. 261 on congress.gov →
Frequently asked questions
What is H.R. 261?
H.R. 261 is a House bill (H.R.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the House. Official title: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for H.R. 261 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).