S. 866: Accelerating Broadband Permits Act
A Senate bill (S.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Senate bill (S.) |
| Originating chamber | Senate |
| Introduced | 2025-03-05 |
| Sponsor | Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] |
| Policy area | Science, Technology, Communications |
| Cosponsors | 2 |
| Latest action | 2025-03-05 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text: CR S1581) |
| Last updated | 2025-07-14 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in Senate, 2025-03-05):
Accelerating Broadband Permits Act
This bill makes specified changes to processes for federal review of certain communications and broadband infrastructure projects.
Specifically, the bill requires executive branch agencies to identify and address factors that contribute to delays in their review of applications for easements, rights-of-way, or leases related to communications infrastructure projects. (Under current law, executive branch agencies with control over buildings or property may grant such easements, rights-of-way, or leases to entities seeking to install, construct, modify, or maintain communications facilities. Generally, agencies must act on such applications within 270 days.)
Under the bill, agencies must develop controls to ensure accurate tracking of processing times for such applications and take action to address factors contributing to delays as they occur. Agencies must also establish methods to alert employees when the agency is at risk of failing to meet the 270-day deadline with respect to a particular application. (These provisions were recommended by the Government Accountability Office in an April 2024 report to Congress entitled Broadband Deployment: Agencies Should Take Steps to Better Meet Deadline for Processing Permits.)
Separately, the bill lowers the cost threshold for certain broadband infrastructure projects to qualify as covered projects under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act from $200 million to $5 million. Such projects qualify for expedited federal environmental review.
Cosponsors (2)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Ben Ray Luján | D NM (original cosponsor) 2025-03-05 |
| John Barrasso | R WY (original cosponsor) 2025-03-05 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for S. 866 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is S. 866?
S. 866 is a Senate bill (S.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the Senate. Official title: Accelerating Broadband Permits Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for S. 866 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).