119-HR-1665 Journalist Public Summary

Headline Summary

A bipartisan bill to make federal land agencies build one‑stop online portals for the Form 299 application that companies use to install or upgrade broadband and wireless facilities on public lands and in national forests. [1]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.R.1665 - DIGITAL Applications Act (overv…[2]U.S. Forest Service — Communication Uses – Wireless Uses | U.S. Forest Service

What It Does

- Requires the Interior Department and the Department of Agriculture (via the U.S. Forest Service) to create online portals to accept, process, and dispose of Form 299 applications for “communications use authorizations” on public lands and National Forest System lands, within one year of enactment. [4]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — Text of H.R. 1665 (Introduced) | Congress.…

- Directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to post links to those portals once notified within three business days of their launch. [4]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — Text of H.R. 1665 (Introduced) | Congress.…

- The bill references existing law that standardized a common application for placing communications facilities on federal property; Form 299 (often filed as Standard Form 299) is the cross‑agency application used for rights‑of‑way and related permits. [5]Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) — 47 U.S.C. § 1455 — Wireless…[2]U.S. Forest Service — Communication Uses – Wireless Uses | U.S. Forest Service[6]U.S. Bureau of Land Management — Completing the SF‑299 Application | Bureau of…

Why It Matters

Today, applicants often file Form 299 by paper or through agency‑specific processes, which can slow projects and make tracking difficult; moving to simple, centralized portals is meant to streamline submissions, improve visibility, and speed deployment of connectivity on federal lands, especially in rural areas. [2]U.S. Forest Service — Communication Uses – Wireless Uses | U.S. Forest Service

Who’s For It

• Sponsors: Rep. Kat Cammack (R‑FL) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D‑CA). [8]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — Cosponsors for H.R. 1665 | Congress.gov
• Supportive rationale from coauthor: Rep. Matsui has pitched it as a “one‑stop online portal” to bring more transparency to federal broadband permitting. [9]House Energy & Commerce Committee Democrats — Matsui opening remarks at Communi…
• Industry groups: The Wireless Infrastructure Association praised the bill’s advancement in committee as part of a broader permitting package. [10]Wireless Infrastructure Association — WIA statement on House committee passage…
• Bipartisan committee votes: Reported by the House Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent (Apr. 9, 2025) and advanced by the House Energy & Commerce Committee to the full House by a 51–0 roll‑call vote (Dec. 3, 2025). [11]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — All Actions (Without Amendments) for H.R.1…[3]U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce — E&C Advances Fifteen Bills to the…

Who’s Against It

• No formal, organized opposition is on record in committee; the latest vote was 51–0. [3]U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce — E&C Advances Fifteen Bills to the…
• Implementation concerns: The Interior Department supports the aim but says the one‑year deadline is difficult and asks Congress to clarify terms like “acceptance” and “disposal.” [7]U.S. Department of the Interior — Pending Legislation: DIGITAL Applications Act…

What’s Next

After clearing the Energy & Commerce Committee, the bill heads to the full House for consideration; it would still need to pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President to become law. If enacted, Interior and Agriculture would have one year to stand up their portals, and NTIA would post the links. [3]U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce — E&C Advances Fifteen Bills to the…[4]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — Text of H.R. 1665 (Introduced) | Congress.…