RAPID Act

The "Reducing Antiquated Permitting for Infrastructure Deployment Act," or RAPID Act, aims to streamline the deployment of small personal wireless service facilities across the United States. It achieves this by exempting these facilities from certain federal environmental and historic preservation review requirements. Specifically, the bill states that a project to deploy a small personal wireless service facility will not be considered a "major Federal action" under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), thereby removing the need for environmental impact assessments. Furthermore, such projects are explicitly excluded from being considered an "undertaking" under the National Historic Preservation Act, eliminating the requirement for historic preservation reviews. The legislation also addresses tribal consultation processes by establishing a presumption of disinterest. If an Indian Tribe receives a complete FCC Form 620 or 621 and does not act on the request within 45 days, it is presumed that the applicant made a good faith effort and the Tribe disclaims interest in the undertaking. This presumption can be overcome under specific conditions, such as if the applicant failed to follow up with the Tribe within a defined timeframe or if FCC rules are found to violate a Nationwide Programmatic Agreement.