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

119th Congress · introduced 2025-01-09 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Plain summary

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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] · 7 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 261, Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 (2026-02-06)

Cosponsors on this site

Neal P. Dunn (R-FL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Jennifer A. Kiggans (R-VA), Russell Fry (R-SC), August Pfluger (R-TX), Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Nicholas J. Begich III (R-AK)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] reported raising $7.3 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Recorded votes

Words on this page, explained (2)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong119-hr261 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills