House Passes Rep Kean's Bill to Accelerate Broadband Deployment to Rural and Tribal Communities

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 5419, the Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act, by unanimous voice vote. Introduced by Rep Tom Kean Jr (R-NJ) in September 2025, this legislation will make meaningful progress towards connecting rural and Tribal communities to high-speed internet access by identifying and addressing key regulatory barriers. The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration. Specifically, H.R. 5419 directs the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to conduct a comprehensive review of administrative barriers that delay the review of communications use authorizations. Within one year, the agencies must report to Congress with their findings and submit a plan to provide adequate staffing to ensure timely permit reviews. The bill addresses a critical bottleneck in broadband deployment: the permitting process for placing communications infrastructure on the millions of acres of federal land, particularly in rural areas where expanding coverage is most needed.