Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

Summary

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits the Department of Commerce from enforcing certain permit requirements for activities related to undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries.  Specifically, Commerce may not prohibit or require an authorization for any covered activities related to undersea fiber optic cables if a license, lease, or permit has been issued by a state or federal agency to authorize the covered activity. Covered activities are the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary. The bill also authorizes Commerce to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in interagency cooperation regarding federal agency actions that are likely to destroy, cause the loss of, or injure a resource in a national marine sanctuary and involve covered activities.  

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 9 January 2025

   Introduced

   Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 9 January 2025

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 9 January 2025

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 21 January 2025

   Referred

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

   Source: Committee

5. 23 January 2025

   Committee

   Subcommittee Hearings Held

   Source: Committee

6. 25 June 2025

   Vote

   Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18.

   Source: Committee

7. 25 June 2025

   Committee

   Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

   Source: Committee

8. 25 June 2025

   Committee

   Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged

   Source: Committee

9. 2 July 2025

   Calendars

   Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 146.

   Source: Calendars

10. 2 July 2025

    Reported

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-181.

    Source: Committee

11. 2 July 2025

    Reported

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-181.

    Source: Committee

12. 9 February 2026

    Reported

    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.

    Source: Floor

13. 11 February 2026

    Passed

    The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

    Source: Floor

14. 11 February 2026

    Passed

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

    Source: Floor

15. 11 February 2026

    Vote

    On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2162)

    Source: Floor

16. 11 February 2026

    Vote

    Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67).

    Source: Floor

17. 11 February 2026

    Vote

    On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 214 - 216 (Roll no. 66).

    Source: Floor

18. 11 February 2026

    Floor

    Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1057. (consideration: CR H2161-2166)

    Source: Floor

19. 11 February 2026

    Floor

    The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.

    Source: Floor

20. 11 February 2026

    Floor

    Mr. Carbajal moved to recommit to the Committee on Natural Resources. (text: CR H2166)

    Source: Floor

21. 11 February 2026

    Floor

    The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

    Source: Floor

22. 11 February 2026

    Floor

    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.

    Source: Floor

23. 11 February 2026

    Reported

    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.

    Source: Floor

24. 12 February 2026

    Introduced

    Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

5 official files

• Referred in Senate

  Referred in Senate · EN · 12 February 2026

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Engrossed in House

  Engrossed in House · EN · 11 February 2026

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Reported in House

  Reported in House · EN · 2 July 2025

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  Introduced in House · EN · 9 January 2025

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 9 January 2025

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] · R · Sponsor
• Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2] · R · Sponsor
• Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3] · R · Sponsor
• Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2] · R · Sponsor
• Russell Fry · R · Sponsor
• August Pfluger · R · Sponsor
• Cliff Bentz · R · Cosponsor
• Nicholas Begich · R · Cosponsor
• · sscm00 · Standing
• · hsii00 · Standing

Related records

• related to ← Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
• related to ← 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.
• related to ← Providing for consideration of the bill (S. 1383) to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes; 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 waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules.