Connect Our Parks Act

118TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 2018 AN ACT To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an assess- ment to identify locations in National Parks in which there is the greatest need for broadband internet access service and areas in National Parks in which there is the greatest need for cellular service, and for other pur- poses. 2 † S 2018 ES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Connect Our Parks 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERVICE AND CEL- 6 LULAR SERVICE ASSESSMENT AND PLAN- 7 NING IN NATIONAL PARKS. 8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 9 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON- 10 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con- 11 gress’’ means— 12 (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural 13 Resources of the Senate; 14 (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 15 and Transportation of the Senate; 16 (C) the Committee on Natural Resources 17 of the House of Representatives; and 18 (D) the Committee on Energy and Com- 19 merce of the House of Representatives. 20 (2) BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERVICE.— 21 The term ‘‘broadband internet access service’’ has 22 the meaning given the term in section 8.1(b) of title 23 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor reg- 24 ulation). 25 3 † S 2018 ES (3) CELLULAR SERVICE.—The term ‘‘cellular 1 service’’ has the meaning given the term in section 2 22.99 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or a 3 successor regulation). 4 (4) NATIONAL PARK.—The term ‘‘National 5 Park’’ means a unit of the National Park System. 6 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 7 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di- 8 rector of the National Park Service. 9 (b) ASSESSMENT.— 10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 11 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 12 shall complete an assessment of National Parks to 13 identify— 14 (A) locations in National Parks in which 15 there is the greatest need for broadband inter- 16 net access service, based on the considerations 17 described in paragraph (2)(A); and 18 (B) areas in National Parks in which there 19 is the greatest need for cellular service, based 20 on the considerations described in paragraph 21 (2)(B). 22 (2) CONSIDERATIONS.— 23 (A) BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERV- 24 ICE.—For purposes of identifying locations in 25 4 † S 2018 ES National Parks under paragraph (1)(A), the 1 Secretary shall consider, with respect to each 2 National Park, the availability of broadband 3 internet access service in— 4 (i) housing; 5 (ii) administrative facilities and re- 6 lated structures; 7 (iii) lodging; 8 (iv) developed campgrounds; and 9 (v) any other location within the Na- 10 tional Park in which broadband internet 11 access service is determined to be nec- 12 essary by the superintendent of the Na- 13 tional Park. 14 (B) CELLULAR SERVICE.—For purposes of 15 identifying areas in National Parks under para- 16 graph (1)(B), the Secretary shall consider, with 17 respect to each National Park, the availability 18 of cellular service in any developed area within 19 the National Park that would increase— 20 (i) the access of the public to emer- 21 gency services and traveler information 22 technologies; or 23 (ii) the communications capabilities of 24 National Park Service employees. 25 5 † S 2018 ES (3) REPORT.—On completion of the assessment 1 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to 2 the appropriate committees of Congress, and make 3 available on the website of the Department of the 4 Interior, a report describing the results of the as- 5 sessment. 6 (c) PLAN.— 7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 8 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 9 shall develop a plan, based on the results of the as- 10 sessment completed under subsection (b) and subject 11 to paragraph (4)— 12 (A) to install broadband internet access 13 service infrastructure in certain locations in Na- 14 tional Parks; and 15 (B) to install cellular service equipment 16 and infrastructure in certain areas of National 17 Parks. 18 (2) CONSULTATION.—In developing the plan 19 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult 20 with— 21 (A) affected Indian Tribes; and 22 (B) local stakeholders that the super- 23 intendent of the applicable National Park deter- 24 mines to be appropriate. 25 6 † S 2018 ES (3) REQUIREMENTS.—The plan developed 1 under paragraph (1) shall— 2 (A) provide for avoiding or minimizing im- 3 pacts to— 4 (i) National Park viewsheds; 5 (ii) cultural and natural resources; 6 (iii) the visitor experience; 7 (iv) other resources or values of the 8 National Park; and 9 (v) historic properties and the 10 viewsheds of historic properties; 11 (B) provide for infrastructure providing 12 broadband internet access service or cellular 13 service to be located in— 14 (i) previously disturbed or developed 15 areas; or 16 (ii) areas zoned for uses that would 17 support the infrastructure; 18 (C) provide for the use of public-private 19 partnerships— 20 (i) to install broadband internet ac- 21 cess service or cellular service equipment; 22 and 23 (ii) to provide broadband internet ac- 24 cess service or cellular service; 25 7 † S 2018 ES (D) be technology neutral; and 1 (E) in the case of broadband internet ac- 2 cess service, provide for broadband internet ac- 3 cess service of at least— 4 (i) a 100-Mbps downstream trans- 5 mission capacity; and 6 (ii) a 20-Mbps upstream transmission 7 capacity. 8 (4) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding paragraph 9 (1), a plan developed under that paragraph shall not 10 be required to address broadband internet access 11 service or cellular service in any National Park with 12 respect to which the superintendent of the National 13 Park determines that there is adequate access to 14 broadband internet access service or cellular service, 15 as applicable. 16 Passed the Senate December 18 (legislative day, De- cember 16), 2024. Attest: Secretary. 118TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 2018 AN ACT To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an assessment to identify locations in National Parks in which there is the greatest need for broadband internet access service and areas in National Parks in which there is the greatest need for cellular service, and for other purposes.