H.R. 3299 would require the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish online portals to process requests to place and operate communications facilities on federal land. The bill also would require the Department of Commerce to publish links to those portals.
DOI already operates an online system that meets the bill’s requirements. Later this year the USDA’s online system will meet some of the bill’s requirements but will need upgrades to meet all of them. Using information from the affected agencies, CBO estimates that upgrading, administering, and maintaining the systems to comply with provisions of the bill would cost $4 million over the 2024‑2028 period. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
