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HR 261
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Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

H. R. 261 To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an authorization for the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or State agency.

Introduced Jan 9, 2025

Latest action (Feb 12, 2026) Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Referred to
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Natural Resources Committee
Issues
Technology & Privacy

Summary

The bill amends the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary of Commerce from requiring additional permits or authorizations for undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries if such cables have already been authorized by a Federal or State agency. The prohibition covers installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, and recovery of the cables. The bill preserves existing interagency coordination requirements and removes certain restrictions on activities covered by sanctuary special use permits.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
7 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Earl L. "Buddy" Carter’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • NULL $80,924
  • INTERNATIONAL AUTO LOGISTICS $7,500
  • SAVANNAH PILOTS ASSOC $6,600
  • HENNESSY AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES $6,600
  • SADOWSKI CO $6,600

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Earl L. "Buddy" Carter → · Outside spending →

Actions (25)
  1. Feb 12, 2026 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. · senate
  2. Feb 11, 2026 The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection. · house
  3. Feb 11, 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  4. Feb 11, 2026 On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2162) · house
  5. Feb 11, 2026 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67).
  6. Feb 11, 2026 On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 214 - 216 (Roll no. 66). · house
  7. Feb 11, 2026 Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2169-2171) · house
  8. Feb 11, 2026 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 261, the Chair put the question on motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Mr. Carbajal demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced. · house
  9. Feb 11, 2026 The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX. · house
  10. Feb 11, 2026 Mr. Carbajal moved to recommit to the Committee on Natural Resources. (text: CR H2166) · house
  11. Feb 11, 2026 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. · house
  12. Feb 11, 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 261. · house
  13. Feb 11, 2026 Rule provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one motion to recommit H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617, and one motion to commit S. 1383. · house
  14. Feb 11, 2026 Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1057. (consideration: CR H2161-2166) · house
  15. Feb 11, 2026 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1057 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one motion to recommit H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617, and one motion to commit S. 1383. · house
  16. Feb 9, 2026 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1042 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one hour of debate and one motion to recommit on each bill. · house
  17. Jul 2, 2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 146. · house
  18. Jul 2, 2025 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-181. · house
  19. Jun 25, 2025 Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18. · house
  20. Jun 25, 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
  21. Jun 25, 2025 Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged · house
  22. Jan 23, 2025 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
  23. Jan 21, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. · house
  24. Jan 9, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. · house
  25. Jan 9, 2025 Introduced in House

How your representatives voted

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Roll-call votes (2)

How the chamber voted on this bill — the outcome, the tally by party, and every member's recorded position. A factual record.

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • S 2873 — Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 · Introduced Sep 18, 2025 · Cong. 119 92%
  • HRES 1042 — Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2189) to modernize Federal firearms laws to account for advancements in technology and less-than-lethal weapons, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 261) to amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an authorization for the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or State agency; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3617) to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to secure the supply of critical energy resources, including critical minerals and other materials, and for other purposes; and for other purposes. · Passed House Feb 10, 2026 · Cong. 119 70%
  • S 3249 — Strategic Subsea Cables Act of 2026 · Introduced Feb 10, 2026 · Cong. 119 66%
  • S 2222 — Critical Undersea Infrastructure Resilience Initiative Act · Introduced Feb 10, 2026 · Cong. 119 62%
  • HR 8808 — Cable Security Fleet Expansion Act · Introduced May 14, 2026 · Cong. 119 60%
  • HR 8177 — Critical Undersea Infrastructure Resilience Initiative Act · Introduced Apr 2, 2026 · Cong. 119 59%

Text versions (4)
  • Referred in Senate · Feb 12, 2026
  • Engrossed in House · Feb 11, 2026
  • Reported in House · Jul 2, 2025
  • Introduced in House · Jan 9, 2025

Committee action

What happened to this bill in committee — the meetings where it was considered and every recorded vote taken on it.

Meetings where this bill was on the agenda

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 9, 2025

Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Dunn of Florida, Mrs. Cammack, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Mr. Fry, and Mr. Pfluger) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

July 2, 2025

Additional sponsors: Mr. Bentz and Mr. Begich

July 2, 2025

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 9, 2025]

A BILL

To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an authorization for the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or State agency.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS FOR, UNDERSEA FIBER OPTIC CABLES AUTHORIZED BY A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY.

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 310 the following:

“SEC. 310A. PROHIBITION ON PROHIBITING, OR REQUIRING PERMITS OR OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS FOR, UNDERSEA FIBER OPTIC CABLES AUTHORIZED BY A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY.

“(a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Secretary may not prohibit, or require any permit, including any special use permit, or other authorization for, the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if a license, lease, or permit has been issued by a Federal or State agency, and is in effect, authorizing such installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery.

“(b) Interagency Cooperation.—Nothing in this section shall be construed as altering existing requirements regarding interagency cooperation under section 304(d) in any Federal agency action described in that section and involving the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary.”.

SEC. 3. REMOVING RESTRICTIONS ON ACTIVITIES COVERED BY SANCTUARY SPECIAL USE PERMITS.

Section 310(c) of National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1441(c)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1), by adding “and” at the end;

(2) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); and

(3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (2). Amend the title so as to read: “A bill to amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary of Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other authorization for, the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have been authorized by a Federal or State agency.”. Union Calendar No. 146

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 261

[Report No. 119-181]

A BILL

To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit requiring an authorization for the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have previously been authorized by a Federal or State agency.

July 2, 2025

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

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