Congress·In Committee·H.R. 1617

Cell Tower Upgrades: Faster Approval Process

Wireless Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act of 2025

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

This bill requires local governments to approve requests to upgrade existing cell towers and wireless equipment within 60 days. If the local government does not make a decision by that deadline, the project is automatically approved so that improvements are not delayed by red tape.
The new rules apply to projects that do not significantly change the size of the tower, such as adding new antennas, replacing old parts, or installing backup power systems. This is intended to help ensure that cell service stays running during emergencies or power outages.
Local governments would be limited in what paperwork they can demand from companies. They can only ask for information directly related to whether the project qualifies for this fast-track process, preventing them from using endless requests for more info to stall the work.
Wireless companies would be allowed to take local governments to federal court if these deadlines are not met. The bill requires courts to handle these cases quickly to get construction moving as soon as possible.
The Federal Communications Commission would be required to set the final rules for this process within 180 days of the bill becoming law.

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 26, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Feb 26, 2025

Introduced in House

1 bill

Broadband Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act

Jan 13 — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Wireless Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 1617

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

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