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![handle is hein.congrecreports/crptxahlt0001 and id is 1 raw text is: AUT-ENTICATED
US. GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
GP
119TH CONGRESS REPORT
1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 119-181
UNDERSEA CABLE PROTECTION ACT OF 2025
JULY 2, 2025.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of
the Union and ordered to be printed
Mr. WESTERMAN, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
REPORT
together with
DISSENTING VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 261]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 261) to amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to
prohibit requiring an 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 previously been authorized by a Federal or State agency, hav-
ing considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amend-
ments and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
The amendments are as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:
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 AUTHORIZA-
TIONS 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 in-
serting after section 310 the following:
SEC. 310A. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER AUTHORIZA-
TIONS 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, re-
pair, 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 ef-
fect, authorizing such installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, re-
pair, or recovery.
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