What This Bill Does · Plain English
GovGreed Synthesis ·
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.
Top Winners (Our Analysis)
LUMN
55% confidence
Lumen (Level 3) owns and operates extensive undersea fiber optic cable networks; eased sanctuary permitting reduces regulatory delays and compliance costs for cable maintenance and expansion.
IRDM
45% confidence
Iridium provides satellite services that complement undersea cable infrastructure; bill's interagency cooperation may indirectly support hybrid telecom projects in marine areas.
Top winners identified by GovGreed LLM analysis. Full impact map with all affected tickers available to Pro subscribers.
Action Timeline
2026-02-12
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
2026-02-11
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2026-02-11
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 261, the Chair put the question on motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Mr. Carbajal demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further p
2026-02-11
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67).
2026-02-11
On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 214 - 216 (Roll no. 66).
2026-02-11
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2169-2171)
2026-02-11
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2162)
2026-02-11
The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
2026-02-11
Mr. Carbajal moved to recommit to the Committee on Natural Resources. (text: CR H2166)
2026-02-11
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Full Bill Text
119 HR 261 EH: Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 U.S. House of Representatives text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. IB 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 261 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary of Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other 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 been authorized by a Federal or State agency. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 . 2. Prohibition on prohibiting, or requiring permits or other authorizations 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 inserting after section 310 the following: 310A. Prohibition on prohibiting, or requiring permits or other authorizations 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, repair, 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 effect, authorizing such installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery. (b) Interagency cooperation Nothing in this section shall be construed as altering existing requirements regarding interagency cooperation under section 304(d) in any Federal agency action described in that section and involving the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary. . 3. Removing restrictions on activities covered by sanctuary special use permits Section 310(c) of National Marine Sanctuaries Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1441(c) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by adding and at the end; (2) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); and (3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (2). Passed the House of Representatives February 11, 2026. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.
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