Legislation· Apr 2026Sponsored by Gabe Evans (R)
Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act
Creates an interagency task force to speed up broadband facility permits on federal land.
Tradeoff
Requires federal land agencies to prioritize reviewing broadband facility requests and report to Congress on progress. No identified offsetting costs or funding in the bill text.
What's in it
Costs $10 million over 2026-2031 in federal spending subject to .
The $10 million is the federal cost to establish and operate an interagency review process — the policy's actual benefit is accelerated approval timelines for communications projects seeking to operate on federal land, shifting the real impact from regulatory delay to private broadband companies.
The House passed this 384-9 on April 20, 2026. It is now in the Senate.
House
Introduced
(Feb 27, 2025)
House
Committee on Energy and Commerce(Feb 27, 2025)
The bill went to more than one committee at the same time.
House
The Committee on Energy and Commerce voted to send it to the floor
Reported(Apr 9, 2025)
Committee report H. Rept. 119-439, Part II.
House
The Committee on Natural Resources voted to send it to the floor
Reported(Jan 12, 2026)
Committee report H. Rept. 119-439, Part I.
House
On Motion to and Pass
Passed(Roll #125 · Apr 20, 2026)
384 yeanay 9Senate
Received from the House
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation(Apr 21, 2026)
- Angie Craig (D-MN)
- Eugene Simon Vindman (D-VA)
Passage votes so far· Apr 20, 2026· 119th Congress · 2025–2027