Local Leaders Oppose Republican Plan for Broadband Permit Legislation, Critics Cite Overreach

Congressional Republicans have sparked opposition from local government leaders with a proposed plan that local groups describe as an “unprecedented federal intrusion” into the municipal process of issuing permits for broadband network construction. The proposal has been met with support from cable industry lobbyists.

Despite facing opposition from local leaders and Congressional Democrats, a House subcommittee proceeded with the plan today. According to the proposed bills, certain local telecom projects could receive automatic approval if municipal boards fail to render decisions within a deadline set by Congress.

In a letter addressed to US lawmakers, four groups representing local leaders expressed concern that “these bills represent an unprecedented federal intrusion into established local decision-making processes, favoring large broadband, telecommunications, wireless, and cable companies at the expense of residents and taxpayers.” The groups assert the bills would strip local governments of their ability to effectively manage infrastructure on local streets and within neighborhoods, while placing no reciprocal obligations on providers.

The letter was signed by the United States Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors. The organizations raised objections to 11 out of the 28 bills being discussed at a markup hearing conducted by the House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. They argued that the bills “would preempt local authority over public rights-of-way and land use.”

Generally, the contested bills demand faster permit approvals and reduced fees for Internet providers at the local level. Today, the House subcommittee approved all the bills, advancing them to the full Commerce Committee.

Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee, Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), criticized the legislative package, describing it as “full of bad ideas that are unpopular with members on both sides of the aisle.” He further explained that “putting arbitrary deadlines on state, local, and Tribal governments to start and finish complicated permit reviews—under threat of an automatic construction approval—is opposed across the board by the local officials who are responsible for doing the work. Other provisions would gut any local communities’ ability to protect historic and culturally significant sites—especially for Tribal communities.”