Conference of Mayors Urges Congress to Reject American Broadband Deployment Act
Resolution warns that the legislation would limit local oversight of broadband deployment and public rights-of-way.
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2026 – U.S. mayors are mounting opposition to federal legislation they say would dramatically reduce local control over broadband and wireless infrastructure.
At its 2026 annual meeting, the United States Conference of Mayors adopted Resolution No. 39, expressing strong opposition to the American Broadband Deployment Act, H.R. 2289, and related Federal Communications Commission proposals that the conference says would preempt local authority over public rights-of-way, zoning, and telecommunications infrastructure.
The American Broadband Deployment Act, a reintroduced version of legislation first advanced in 2023, was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on a 26-24 vote in December. It was subsequently placed on the Union Calendar in April, making it eligible for a floor vote, but was later postponed and has yet to be considered by the full House.
The adopted resolution contends the legislation would bestow on broadband providers an “unprecedented, uncompensated, unconstitutional, and unnecessary federal grant of access to state and local public property.”
The legislation combines provisions drawn from more than 20 previously introduced broadband and telecommunications bills. Among its major changes, it would establish federal deadlines ranging from 60 to 150 days for state and local governments to approve or deny applications to build, modify, or co-locate broadband infrastructure. In many cases, applications would be automatically approved if local officials fail to act within the prescribed timeframe.
The resolution argues those deadlines are unreasonably short and would undermine local review processes. The organization noted that some telecommunications siting decisions could be deemed approved after 60 days, compared with the 270 days federal agencies often have to evaluate similar requests involving federal property.
Against changes to Section 253
The conference also objected to provisions that would amend Section 253 of the Communications Act. According to the resolution, the changes would limit the ability of state and local governments to collect compensation for their use by restricting fees to “actual, objectively reasonable costs.” Mayors argued the proposal would reduce local control over public assets and diminish revenue associated with managing public property.
In addition, the resolution criticized provisions that would shift review of certain wireless siting disputes from federal district courts to the Federal Communications Commission. The conference contends that change would “break the promise made by Congress in 1996 that local governments would not be required to travel to Washington to defend local decisions.”
The mayors' resolution also raised concerns about two pending FCC proceedings – one aimed at Eliminating Barriers to Wireless Deployments and another Eliminating Barriers to Wireline Deployments. The conference said the proposals could similarly expand federal preemption of local authority over telecommunications infrastructure and public rights-of-way.
The United States Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, National Association of Telecommunications Officials and Administrators, and numerous individual local governments filed pleadings in both proceedings to argue that the FCC’s actions would result in the preemption of local government authority to manage public property and collect compensation for private use of said property.
“There is empirical evidence that the states that have most preempted local government authority over cable and telecommunications providers are the states with the least broadband coverage,” the resolution states.
The resolution refutes industry claims that preempting local government management of public rights-of-way and property are the primary barrier to broadband deployment.
The resolution was sponsored by mayors from communities across the country, including Brian Wahler of Piscataway, N.J.; Angela Birney of Redmond, Wash.; Connie Boesen of Des Moines, Iowa; J. Christian Bollwage of Elizabeth, N.J.; Leirion Gaylor Baird of Lincoln, Neb.; Anne Marie Graham-Hudak of Canton Township, Mich.; Christina Muryn of Findlay, Ohio; Michael Owens of Mableton, Ga.; Satya Rhodes-Conway of Madison, Wis.; Daniel Rickenmann of Columbia, S.C.; Jim Ross of Arlington, Texas; Keith Wilson of Portland, Ore.; and Michelle Wu of Boston, Mass.
