Public Lands Telecommunications Act

Public Lands Telecommunications Act

This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to establish separate special accounts for the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service (the federal land management agencies) for the deposit of rental fees received by such agencies for communications use authorizations on federal lands that are granted, issued, or executed by them. A "communication use authorization" is defined as a right-of-way, permit, or lease granted, issued, or executed by a federal land management agency for the primary purpose of authorizing the occupancy and use of federal lands for communications use.

The rental fees received by each federal land management agency shall:

• be deposited in its special account, and
• remain available for expenditure for agency activities related to communications sites (those areas of federal lands designated for telecommunications uses).

The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture may enter into cooperative agreements for the administration of communications sites.