H.R. 5147 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Sep 4, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStreamlines wireless facility approval rules
This bill sets strict deadlines for states and localities to approve or reject requests to build wireless facilities like cell towers. If they miss the deadline, the request is automatically approved. The bill also prevents states and localities from favoring one wireless company over another, and requires any fees they charge for reviewing these requests to be fair, transparent, and based on their actual costs.
How it affects you
Wireless companies and telecommunications providers will face faster and more predictable approval timelines when expanding service. If you live in an area where cellular networks are expanding, this could mean quicker buildout of new infrastructure, though the actual impact depends on your local government's current practices.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Sep 4, 2025)
Winning the International Race for Economic Leadership and Expanding Service to Support Leadership Act or the WIRELESS Leadership Act
This bill imposes limits on state and local review and regulation of requests to construct wireless telecommunication facilities.
Specifically, states and localities must grant or deny requests to place, modify, or construct personal wireless service (PWS) facilities by a specified deadline. This deadline varies based on the nature of the request and the proposed facility. If a state or locality fails to act on a request within that timeframe, the request is deemed granted. On the day a decision to deny a request is made, the state or locality must publish the decision and provide it to the requesting party.
Further, the bill expands an existing prohibition on unreasonable discrimination in the regulation of such requests. Under the bill, any discrimination among PWS facilities or communications service providers is prohibited. For example, a state or locality may not grant preferential or exclusive use of facilities to a particular provider or class of providers. However, states and localities may establish objective, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory engineering standards, safety requirements, or aesthetic requirements.
Finally, the bill establishes requirements for fees imposed by states and localities for consideration of a request. For example, such fees must be (1) competitively neutral, technology neutral, and nondiscriminatory; (2) established in advance and publicly disclosed; and (3) based on actual and direct costs to the state or locality.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 5147
A BILL
WIRELESS Leadership Act
Sponsor: Rep. Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5) · Introduced Sep 4, 2025 · Science, Technology, Communications · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 4, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.”