S. 2873 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Sep 18, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStreamlines undersea internet cable approvals
The bill changes how the Department of Commerce handles permits for undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries. If a state or federal agency has already issued a license or permit for installing, maintaining, repairing, or operating these cables, Commerce cannot require additional authorization. The bill also lets Commerce coordinate with other federal agencies when these cable activities might damage marine sanctuary resources.
How it affects you
This mainly affects companies that lay and maintain undersea internet cables, which transmit data between continents. For the general public, this could mean less regulatory delay in getting new internet infrastructure in place, though the summary doesn't specify direct impacts on everyday internet service or costs. People who care about protecting marine sanctuaries may see this as reducing environmental review for cable work in protected ocean areas.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Sep 18, 2025)
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.
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 SessionS. 2873
A BILL
Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) · Introduced Sep 18, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 18, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.”