H.R. 1665: DIGITAL Applications Act
Sponsor
Kat Cammack
Republican · FL-3
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 4, 2026
Placed on House floor schedule, Calendar No. 416.
Why it matters
For broadband builders, tower companies, utilities, and rural communities waiting on wireless and internet expansion, this is the kind of unglamorous fix that can shave time and uncertainty off projects that cross federal land. The bill also requires agencies to notify NTIA within 3 business days after the portals go live and requires NTIA to post links to them, which could make the process easier to find and harder to hide behind agency silos; the losers here are mostly the old fragmented, paper-based habits that slow deployment.
H.R. 1665 Common Questions
How long would Interior and USDA have to create an online Form 299 portal?
Under the DIGITAL Applications Act, the Interior Department and USDA would have to establish online portals for Form 299 submissions within 1 year of enactment (Section 2(a)(1)).
Can you submit a Form 299 online under the DIGITAL Applications Act?
Yes. Under the DIGITAL Applications Act, the Secretaries concerned must establish online portals to accept, process, and dispose of Form 299s for communications use authorizations (Section 2(a)(1)).
What are the agencies required to build Form 299 online portals?
According to H.R. 1665 Section 2, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, must create the portals.
Does the DIGITAL Applications Act require NTIA to post links to the permit portals?
Yes. Under the DIGITAL Applications Act, NTIA must publish a link to each agency portal on its website after the portals are established (Section 2(b)).
How fast would agencies have to notify NTIA after launching a Form 299 portal?
Under the DIGITAL Applications Act, the Secretary must notify the Assistant Secretary within 3 business days after establishing the portal (Section 2(a)(2)).
Which lands are covered by the DIGITAL Applications Act Form 299 portals?
According to H.R. 1665 Section 2(c)(5), covered land means public lands and National Forest System land.
What counts as a communications use authorization under HR 1665?
Under the DIGITAL Applications Act, it includes an easement, right-of-way, lease, license, or other authorization to locate or modify a communications facility on covered land (Section 2(c)(4)).
Can a wireless tower or other communications facility on public land use the new online portal?
Yes. Under the DIGITAL Applications Act, the portal is for Form 299s tied to communications use authorizations for placing or modifying communications facilities on covered land (Sections 2(a)(1), 2(c)(3)-(4)).
Does the DIGITAL Applications Act apply to National Forest System land?
Yes. According to H.R. 1665, covered land includes National Forest System land, so those applications would be within the portal requirement (Section 2(c)(5)).
Does the DIGITAL Applications Act cover successor versions of Form 299?
Yes. Under the DIGITAL Applications Act, 'Form 299' includes the form established by federal law or any successor form (Section 2(c)(6)).
Based on H.R. 1665 bill text
HR1665 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 4, 2026
Committee on Agriculture discharged.
House: Vote: 51-0
Dec 3, 2025
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 51 - 0.
House: Vote Held
Nov 18, 2025
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
House: Passed Committee
Apr 9, 2025
Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
+2 more actions this day
House: Committee Action
Feb 27, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
About the Sponsor
Kat Cammack
Republican, Florida's 3rd congressional district · 5 years in Congress
Committees: Agriculture, Energy and Commerce
View full profile →
Cosponsors (3)
All 3 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 3 states: California, Maryland, Ohio.
Committee Sponsors
Agriculture Committee
1 of 53 committee members cosponsored
Natural Resources Committee
0 of 43 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
Energy and Commerce Committee
2 of 54 committee members cosponsored
79 Republicans across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 1665 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Agriculture
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Introduced
- Feb 27, 2025
Placed on House floor schedule, Calendar No. 416.
Feb 4, 2026
Official Sources
Official bill text, cosponsors, committee activity, and full legislative history for the DIGITAL Applications Act
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate for the DIGITAL Applications Act as reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources
BLM's current communications site program — the agency manages over 1,500 communications sites on federal public lands, the exact infrastructure this bill's portal would streamline
Step-by-step instructions for the Standard Form 299 that this bill would move to an online portal
NTIA's federal permitting resource hub — the bill requires NTIA to publish links to the new portals on its website
The underlying federal statute (from the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012) that established Form 299 and the 270-day review window this bill builds on
H.R. 1665 Bill Text
“To require the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to establish online portals to accept, process, and dispose of certain Form 299s, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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