Senator John Barrasso website reports…
Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) introduced legislation to increase access to high-speed internet on federal land. The CLOSE THE GAP Act will streamline the permitting process for broadband and telecommunications infrastructure on federal land to expand access to high-speed internet in rural areas. The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
More information…
Background:
In order to streamline the permitting process for broadband infrastructure, the CLOSE THE GAP Act requires federal land management agencies to issue new regulations that would streamline the process for broadband applications on federal land. The bill also promotes online application tracking for broadband infrastructure projects through the existing Permitting Dashboard established under the FAST Act.
The bill also accelerates broadband deployment by expanding categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and limiting additional environmental and historic preservation reviews for certain broadband projects on federal land. The exclusion criteria would apply to:
- Projects involving existing public safety communications facilities on federal land
- Projects located on previously analyzed federal land
- Federal land with existing authorized utilities, powerline facilities, or roads
The bill would establish online portals for submission of Standard Form-299 applications. It would also establish a special account at Treasury for each land management agency to deposit cost recovery fees for their own use related specifically to broadband deployment. Lastly, the bill would establish a working group between each federal land management agency to periodically meet to coordinate and expedite the review of applications.
Full text of the legislation can be found here.