Modernizing the Commission's National Environmental Policy Act Rules

What it does

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) seeks additional comment on the Commission's National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) framework, to further expedite, simplify, and reduce the costs of environmental review. This includes refreshing the record on the meaning of "undertaking" and the Commission's approach to implementing section 106 of the NHPA. The Commission also seeks comment on whether activities related to the deployment and operation of communications infrastructure are within the scope of "undertaking," as well as on other practices or actions the Commission could adopt to provide more efficiency and predictability in the section 106 process. Additionally, the Commission seeks comment on whether communications infrastructure deployments are agency actions subject to the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Federal Communications Commission's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What it would change

1 part of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

47 CFR 1

What happens next and when

Comments are due on or before November 18, 2026; reply comments are due on or before December 3, 2026. Written comments on the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) in this document must have a separate and distinct heading designating them as responses to the IRFA and must be submitted on or before November 18, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Title 47 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register