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CIVIC HERALD
HR 261 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

In plain language: This bill prevents federal sanctuary managers from blocking or requiring special permits for installing, operating, and repairing undersea fiber-optic cables in national marine sanctuaries, provided the project is already permitted by a state or federal agency. It also eliminates certain restrictions on what types of activities can receive special use permits within marine sanctuaries, while preserving standard agency consultation requirements.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, issue tags, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affected—The bill affects commercial entities operating undersea cables and holders of special use permits in national marine sanctuaries, but the text contains no population metrics.
Fiscal magnitude—CBO cost estimate published (H.R. 261, Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025, 2026-02-06); dollar figure pending review extraction — see receipt
Reach35provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Internet & broadband−35Federal lands & resources−35Pollution & development−40

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it helps

  • undersea fiber optic cable operatorsNo longer need to obtain separate permits or authorizations from sanctuary officials to install, operate, maintain, or recover undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries, provided they hold a valid federal or state permit or license (Sec. 2(310A)(a)).provisional
  • marine sanctuary special use permit applicants and holdersAre freed from statutory restrictions requiring special use permits to be limited to 5 years and prohibiting activities that destroy, damage, or cause the loss of sanctuary resources (Sec. 3).provisional

Who it burdens

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sanctuary officialsLoses the authority to require permits or prohibit the installation, maintenance, repair, or operation of undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries if those cables have existing federal or state authorization (Sec. 2(310A)(a)).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Bars the federal government from prohibiting, or requiring additional permits or authorizations for, installing, operating, maintaining, repairing, or removing undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries if a valid federal or state permit or license already authorizes the activity.

    Sec. 2(310A)(a)provisional

  2. Preserves existing requirements for federal agencies to consult and cooperate with sanctuary officials on federal actions involving undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries.

    Sec. 2(310A)(b)provisional

  3. Removes restrictions on national marine sanctuary special use permits, eliminating the 5-year permit time limit and the requirement that permitted activities not destroy, damage, or cause the loss of sanctuary resources.

    Sec. 3provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Feb 12, 2026Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  2. Feb 11, 2026The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  3. Feb 11, 2026Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  4. Feb 11, 2026On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2162)
  5. Feb 11, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67).
  6. Feb 11, 2026On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 214 - 216 (Roll no. 66).
  7. Feb 11, 2026Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1057 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one motion to recommit H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617, and one motion to commit S. 1383.
  8. Feb 9, 2026Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1042 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one hour of debate and one motion to recommit on each bill.
  9. Jul 2, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-181.
  10. Jul 2, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-181.
  11. Jun 25, 2025Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18.
  12. Jan 9, 2025Introduced in House
  13. Jan 9, 2025Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Read the original text →

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 17 days ago

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