Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 limits duplicative permitting for undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries. It adds a new section 310A to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. If a federal or state agency has already issued and kept in effect a license, lease, or permit authorizing cable installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery, the Secretary may not prohibit the activity or require a national marine sanctuary permit, special use permit, or other separate authorization for the same cable activity. The bill preserves existing interagency cooperation requirements under section 304(d). It also removes two restrictions from section 310(c) special-use permit authority by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and redesignating paragraph (4).
Who Benefits and How
Undersea fiber optic cable operators benefit because a valid federal or state authorization prevents a duplicative sanctuary permit requirement. Transoceanic cable companies benefit from lower permitting friction for installation, maintenance, repair, and recovery work in marine sanctuaries. Telecommunications customers benefit indirectly from reduced risk of delay in undersea cable operation and repair. Special use permit holders in marine sanctuaries benefit from the removal of statutory restrictions in section 310(c).
Who Bears the Burden and How
The NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program loses some independent authority to prohibit or require permits for already authorized undersea cable activity. Marine sanctuary managers must rely on interagency cooperation rather than a separate sanctuary authorization in covered cases. Marine conservation organizations may face reduced sanctuary-specific leverage over cable projects once another federal or state authorization is in effect.
Key Provisions
- Adds National Marine Sanctuaries Act section 310A for undersea fiber optic cables authorized by another federal or state agency.
- Prohibits the Secretary from banning or separately permitting installation, presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of covered undersea fiber optic cables in a sanctuary.
- Requires existing interagency cooperation under section 304(d) to continue for federal agency actions involving undersea cables.
- Repeals two restrictions from sanctuary special-use permit authority and redesignates the remaining paragraph.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Amends the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to bar the Secretary from prohibiting, or requiring a sanctuary permit or other authorization for, installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary when another federal or state license, lease, or permit is in effect, preserves existing interagency cooperation requirements, and removes restrictions from sanctuary special-use permit authority.
Key Policy Areas
Telecommunications, Environment, Ocean Policy, Permitting
Primary Purpose
Amends the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to bar the Secretary from prohibiting, or requiring a sanctuary permit or other authorization for, installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary when another federal or state license, lease, or permit is in effect, preserves existing interagency cooperation requirements, and removes restrictions from sanctuary special-use permit authority.
Policy Domains
House resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Undersea fiber optic cable operators
- Transoceanic cable companies
- Telecommunications providers using undersea cables
- Telecommunications customers
- Internet service providers
- Undersea cable repair workers
- Special use permit holders in marine sanctuaries
Identified Costs
- NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Marine sanctuary managers
- Federal marine sanctuary agencies
- Marine conservation organizations
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to …
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, …
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without …
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without …
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without …
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - …
On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: …
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas …
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2169-2171)
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Marine conservation organizations, Marine sanctuary managers, NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program
Positive-direction: Special use permit holders in marine sanctuaries
Negative-direction: Marine conservation organizations, Marine sanctuary managers, NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program
Transoceanic cable companies, Undersea cable operators with special use permits, Undersea fiber optic cable operators
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "nmsa"
- → National Marine Sanctuaries Act
- "noaa"
- → NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology