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House Bill 261
119th Congress(2025-2026)
Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
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Passed House on Feb 11, 2026
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H. R. 261 (Referred-in-Senate)


119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 261

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 12, 2026

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

AN ACT

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.

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).

Passed the House of Representatives February 11, 2026.

    Attest:kevin f. mccumber,   
    Clerk.