,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bfde  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #ag1  
#bjai,mrs4 ,blackburn 7for herself1 ,mr4
 ,tillis1 and ,mr4 ,perdue7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to provide that the ,federal   
,communications ,commission and         
communications service providers        
regulated by the ,commission under the  
,communications ,act of #aicd shall not 
be subject to certain provisions of the 
,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of
 #aifi and the ,national ,historic      
,preservation ,act with respect to the  
construction1 rebuilding1 or hardening  
of communications facilities following a
 major disaster or an emergency declared
 by the ,president1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,connecting         
,communities ,post ,disasters ,act of   
#bjai4  #b4 ,application of ,,nepa and  

,,nhpa to covered communications        
projects  7a7 ,definitions ,in this     
,act3  7#a7 ,commission ,the term       
,commission means the ,federal          
,communications ,commission4  7#b7      
,communications facility ,the term      
communications facility includes--  7,a7
 any wireless or wireline infrastructure
 for the transmission of writing1 signs1
 signals1 data1 images1 pictures1 or    
sounds of all kinds2  7,b7 any          
transmitting device1 tower1 or support  
structure1 and any equipment1 switches1 
wiring1 cabling1 power sources1         
shelters1 or cabinets1 associated with  
the provision of communications         
services2 and  7,c7 any antenna or      
apparatus that-- 7i7 is designed for the
 purpose of emitting radio frequency2   
7ii7 is designed to be operated1 or is  
operating1 from a fixed location2 and   
7iii7 is added to a tower1 building1 or 
other structure4  7#c7 ,communications  
service ,the term communications service
 means a service for the transmission of

 writing1 signs1 signals1 data1 images1 
pictures1 or sounds of all kinds4  7#d7 
,covered project ,the term covered      
project means a project that-- 7,a7 is  
to be carried out within an area for    
which the ,president has declared a     
major disaster or an emergency under the
 ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief
 and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db   
,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq472  7,b7 is to be
 carried out not later than #e years    
after the date on which the ,president  
made the declaration2 and  7,c7 7i7     
replaces a communications facility      
damaged by the disaster or emergency2 or
  7ii7 makes improvements to a          
communications facility--  7,i7 that    
could reasonably be considered as       
necessary for recovery from the disaster
 or emergency2 or  7,,ii7 to prevent or 
mitigate damage to the communications   
facility from a future disaster or      
emergency4  7b7 ,,nepa considerations   
,the ,commission shall treat a covered  
project as a class of action            

categorically excluded under section    
#aejh4d of title #dj1 ,code of ,federal 
,regulations 7or a successor            
regulation71 from any requirement to    
prepare an environmental assessment or  
environmental impact statement under    
section #ajb7b77;,c7 of the ,national   
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c774  7c7     
,national historic preservation         
considerations ,section #cjfajh of title
 #ed1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall not  
apply with respect to a covered         
project-- 7#a7 for which the ,commission
 is required to issue a permit2 or  7#b7
 that is otherwise subject to the       
jurisdiction of the ,commission4