Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025

What this measure contains

Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits the Department of Commerce from enforcing certain permit requirements for activities related to undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries. Specifically, Commerce may not prohibit or require an authorization for any covered activities related to undersea fiber optic cables if a license, lease, or permit has been issued by a state or federal agency to authorize the covered activity. Covered activities are the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary. The bill also authorizes Commerce to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in interagency cooperation regarding federal agency actions that are likely to destroy, cause the loss of, or injure a resource in a national marine sanctuary and involve covered activities.

The latest Congressional Research Service summary in the bill's GovInfo status record, or its official title when no summary has been published. Amendments can change the wording; read a specific version for its complete provisions.

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Bill text and versions

Drafts can change as a measure moves through Congress. Check the version attached to a recorded vote.

• Referred in Senate · Official document ↗· Feb 12, 2026
• Engrossed in House · Official document ↗· Feb 11, 2026
• Reported in House · Official document ↗· Jul 2, 2025
• Introduced in House · Official document ↗· Jan 9, 2025

Legislative path

Each stage below is a House or Senate floor decision: every recorded roll call on this measure, plus passage by voice vote or unanimous consent, which records no individual votes. Each stage shows the latest version published before that day; the chamber may have voted on an amended text. Roll calls name every member. A member's row follows their votes, and a highlighted vote marks where they voted for advancing the measure at one stage and against it at another (passage, cloture, motions to proceed, agreeing to the other chamber's version). Amendments and motions such as recommit or table don't count as a change, because an aye there isn't a vote for the measure.

1. Introduced in House
2. Reported in House
3. Engrossed in Houseby House passage
4. Referred in Senate

Companion measure: S. 2873. A companion follows its own path; its votes are not combined with this one.

Decision stages

1. Feb 11, 2026 · House

   House motion to recommit on Reported in House: Failed

   214 aye · 216 no · 2 not voting · Source roll call

2. Feb 11, 2026 · House

   House passage on Reported in House: Passed, reported as Engrossed in House

   218 aye · 212 no · 2 not voting · Source roll call

House members along the path

Aye yea or aye · No nay or no · Present · NV not voting · Changed reversed on advancing the measure

Members are identified by the Bioguide ID in each roll call, not by name. Not voting is not a no vote; a blank cell means the member wasn't listed for that roll call.Congress.gov actions ↗

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Legislative history

1. Jan 9, 2025

   Introduced in House

2. Jan 9, 2025

   Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

3. Jan 21, 2025

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

4. Jan 23, 2025

   Subcommittee Hearings Held

5. Jun 25, 2025

   Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged

6. Jun 25, 2025

   Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

7. Jun 25, 2025

   Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18.

8. Jul 2, 2025

   Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-181.

9. Jul 2, 2025

   Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 146.

10. Feb 9, 2026

    Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1042 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one hour of debate and one motion to recommit on each bill.

11. Feb 11, 2026

    Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1057 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one motion to recommit H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617, and one motion to commit S. 1383.

12. Feb 11, 2026

    Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1057. (consideration: CR H2161-2166)

13. Feb 11, 2026

    Rule provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one motion to recommit H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617, and one motion to commit S. 1383.

14. Feb 11, 2026

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 261.

15. Feb 11, 2026

    The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

16. Feb 11, 2026

    Mr. Carbajal moved to recommit to the Committee on Natural Resources. (text: CR H2166)

17. Feb 11, 2026

    The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.

18. Feb 11, 2026

    POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 261, the Chair put the question on motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Mr. Carbajal demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.

19. Feb 11, 2026

    Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2169-2171)

20. Feb 11, 2026

    On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 214 - 216 (Roll no. 66).

21. Feb 11, 2026

    Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67).

22. Feb 11, 2026

    On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2162)

23. Feb 11, 2026

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

24. Feb 11, 2026

    The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

25. Feb 12, 2026

    Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Bill sponsors