Fedorchak introduces legislation to streamline broadband permitting

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak introduced the CABLE Expansion Act, legislation to expedite broadband expansion by streamlining the permitting process for cable operators while protecting the role of local governments.

"Reliable broadband shouldn't be a luxury in today's economy-it's a necessity for families, farmers, and businesses across North Dakota and the nation," Fedorchak said. "This commonsense legislation will help providers deploy and upgrade networks more quickly, reduce the regulatory burden, and lower costs, all while preserving local control over permitting decisions."

The CABLE Expansion Actis part of the Energy and Commerce Committee's effort to expedite broadband permitting and will be discussed at a hearing on Thursday. The bill:

• Streamlines applications for cable operators that apply to a franchise authority to deploy or upgrade facilities.

• Preserves local authority while requiring timely, written responses from franchise authorities.

• Establishes clear timelines for decisions, with applications automatically granted if no response is issued in time.

• Requires transparency in fees and ensures they are based only on actual, direct costs.

• Requires any denial to be written, publicly released, and backed by clear evidence at the time of the decision.

• Applies the new timelines and fee requirements retroactively to pending requests that have not yet been approved or denied.

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