Bill Requiring Interior and USDA to Study Broadband Barriers Clears House Natural Resources
The bill aims to accelerate broadband deployment on federal lands.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2026 – The “Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act” a bill aimed at removing barriers to deploying broadband on federal lands, cleared the House Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent on Wednesday.
Introduced by Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., on December 11, 2025, the measure would require the Interior and Agriculture Departments to study and create a report on any barriers, rules or regulations–within their agencies–that are delaying broadband deployment.
“Bridging the digital divide requires cutting through bureaucratic red tape, inefficiencies, and delays, and this legislation does just that,” Kean said in a statement after the vote.
“By addressing key regulatory barriers, prioritizing staffing to process permits, and improving interagency coordination, we can take real steps forward in ensuring affordable, reliable connectivity for our communities,” Kean said.
At a federal lands subcommittee hearing in December, the bill received support from witness Brian Ford, vice president of Rural Broadband Association NTCA.
During his testimony, Ford noted that members of NTCA have faced delays and cost increases to access federal lands to deploy broadband infrastructure under Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment projects. He said some member ISPs have waited more than a year to gain access to federal lands.
“The United States is at a critical moment with respect to broadband availability.” Ford testified. “ISPs are increasingly concerned that without proactive planning and concrete action to identify and mitigate these delays at federal agencies, projects to connect unserved or underserved consumers will be unreasonably delayed or even abandoned altogether.”
If passed into law, the report from the Interior and Agriculture Departments would need to be delivered within a year of passage and include a detailed plan to address any barriers and streamline deployment.
Member discussion