HR 261 · 119th Congress · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Introduced 2025-01-09· Sponsored by Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]· House

Bill Progress

1
Introduced
Committee
House Vote
4
Senate
5
Enacted
Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.(2026-02-12)

Recorded Votes

PassedHouse · 2026-02-11
Roll #67
Yea 218Nay 212
Democrats
3 Yea·211 Nay
Republicans
215 Yea·1 Nay
PassedHouse · 2026-02-11
Roll #67
Yea 218Nay 212
Democrats
3 Yea·211 Nay
Republicans
215 Yea·1 Nay
FailedHouse · 2026-02-11
Roll #66
Yea 214Nay 216
Democrats
214 Yea·0 Nay
Republicans
0 Yea·216 Nay

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Plain Language Summary

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits the Department of Commerce from enforcing certain permit requirements for activities related to undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries.  Specifically, Commerce may not prohibit or require an authorization for any covered activities related to undersea fiber optic cables if a license, lease, or permit has been issued by a state or federal agency to authorize the covered activity. Covered activities are the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary. The bill also authorizes Commerce to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in interagency cooperation regarding federal agency actions that are likely to destroy, cause the loss of, or injure a resource in a national marine sanctuary and involve covered activities.  …

Summarized by Claude AI · Non-partisan · For informational purposes only

CBO Cost Estimate

Congressional Budget Office

H.R. 261, Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Feb 6, 2026

As reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on July 2, 2025

Full CBO report ↗

Official non-partisan budget analysis by the Congressional Budget Office

Cosponsors (7)

7 Republicans