H.R. 261

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 261 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 261

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 12, 2026

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary 
of Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other 
authorization for, the installation, continued presence, operation, 
maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a 
national marine sanctuary if such activities have been authorized by a 
Federal or State agency.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Undersea Cable Protection Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER 
AUTHORIZATIONS FOR, UNDERSEA FIBER OPTIC CABLES 
AUTHORIZED BY A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY.

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) is 
amended by inserting after section 310 the following:

``SEC. 310A. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER 
AUTHORIZATIONS FOR, UNDERSEA FIBER OPTIC CABLES 
AUTHORIZED BY A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY.

``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
the Secretary may not prohibit, or require any permit, including any 
special use permit, or other authorization for, the installation, 
continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of 
undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if a 
license, lease, or permit has been issued by a Federal or State agency, 
and is in effect, authorizing such installation, continued presence, 
operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery.
``(b) Interagency Cooperation.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as altering existing requirements regarding interagency 
cooperation under section 304(d) in any Federal agency action described 
in that section and involving the installation, continued presence, 
operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic 
cables in a national marine sanctuary.''.

SEC. 3. REMOVING RESTRICTIONS ON ACTIVITIES COVERED BY SANCTUARY 
SPECIAL USE PERMITS.

Section 310(c) of National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 
1441(c)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' at the end;
(2) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); and
(3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (2).

Passed the House of Representatives February 11, 2026.

Attest:

KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

Clerk.