House committee passes local broadband permitting preemption bills

Key Takeaways

December 3 Update: On December 3, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced fifteen broadband bills to the full U.S. House, including the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025 (H.R. 2289). See the list of bills advanced and vote counts here.  

The American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025 would enact new restrictions on a variety of state and local land use and zoning authorities pertaining to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure, including both wireless deployment and wireline deployment, as well as impose limitations on the ability for counties to negotiate and renew cable franchise agreements. Counties strongly urge Congress to preserve all local land use and zoning authorities throughout the stages of deployment of broadband infrastructure projects.  

These bills come as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued with Notices of Inquiries (NOIs) on wireline and wireless deployments, which are exploring preemptions in the local authority of telecommunications deployments. Read more about those proceedings here.  

Original post: On September 18, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a legislative hearing titled “Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting”. The hearing considered 29 broadband bills focused on barriers and potential solutions to permitting and regulation to hasten the buildout of broadband infrastructure.  

Counties, as meaningful contributors in the broadband buildout process, urge Congress to not consider any legislation that would limit the ability of counties to play a role in telecommunications infrastructure decisions. Counties remain committed to seeing meaningful reform to the federal permitting process that will expedite important infrastructure projects that effectively serve our communities.