HR 261
· 119th Congress
· Public Lands and Natural Resources
Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025
Sponsor
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Action timeline
Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.
Feb 12, 2026
introduced
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Feb 11, 2026
committee
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.
Feb 11, 2026
floor
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1057. (consideration: CR H2161-2166)
Feb 11, 2026
floor
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.
Feb 11, 2026
floor
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 261.
Feb 11, 2026
floor
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
Feb 11, 2026
floor
Mr. Carbajal moved to recommit to the Committee on Natural Resources. (text: CR H2166)
Natural Resources Committee
Feb 11, 2026
floor
The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
Feb 11, 2026
floor
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.
Feb 11, 2026
floor
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2169-2171)
Feb 11, 2026
floor
On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 214 - 216 (Roll no. 66).
Natural Resources Committee
Feb 11, 2026
passed
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67).
Feb 11, 2026
passed
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 212 (Roll no. 67). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2162)
Feb 11, 2026
passed
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Feb 11, 2026
passed
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Feb 09, 2026
committee
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.
Jul 02, 2025
committee
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-181.
Natural Resources Committee
Jul 02, 2025
other
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 146.
Jun 25, 2025
committee
Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged
Natural Resources Committee
Jun 25, 2025
committee
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Natural Resources Committee
Jun 25, 2025
committee
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18.
Natural Resources Committee
Jan 23, 2025
committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
Jan 21, 2025
committee
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
Jan 09, 2025
introduced
Introduced in House
Jan 09, 2025
introduced
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Natural Resources Committee
Roll-call votes
Floor votes recorded on this bill.
Roll call #66 — On Motion to Recommit
February 11, 2026 · Failed
214
Yea
216
Nay
2
Missed
D
214–0
R
0–216
(2 missed)
view official roll-call →
Roll call #67 — On Passage
February 11, 2026 · Passed
218
Yea
212
Nay
2
Missed
D
3–211
R
215–1
(2 missed)
view official roll-call →
Text versions
Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.
CRS summaries
Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.
00
Introduced in House
Jan 09, 2025
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.
via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov
Changelog
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih / is — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh / rfs — Referred to a committee for review.rh / rs — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).pcs / pch — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.eh / es — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.rdh / rds — Received by the other chamber.eah / eas — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.ath / ats — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.enr — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.pl — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.pp — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih/is— Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh/rfs— Referred to a committee for review.rh/rs— Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).pcs/pch— Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.eh/es— Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.rdh/rds— Received by the other chamber.eah/eas— Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.ath/ats— Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.enr— Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.pl— Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.pp— Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.
+18
−12
13 unchanged
--- Referred (Senate)
+++ Engrossed (House)
@@ -1,19 +1,11 @@
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
-[H.R. 261 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
+[H.R. 261 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
+
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 261
-
-_______________________________________________________________________
-
-IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
-
-February 12, 2026
-
-Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
-Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
@@ -73,6 +65,20 @@
Attest:
-KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
+Clerk.
+119th CONGRESS
-Clerk.
+2d Session
+
+H. R. 261
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+AN ACT
+
+To amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to prohibit the Secretary
+of Commerce from prohibiting, or requiring any permit or other
+authorization for, the installation, continued presence, operation,
+maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a
+national marine sanctuary if such activities have been authorized by a
+Federal or State agency.
Lobbying activity
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3
filings · 2026 Q3
1
filings · 2026 Q1
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Cosponsors (7)
Members who signed on to support this bill.