H.R. 1737: To direct the Secretary of Commerce to submit to Congress a report containing an assessment of the value, cost, and feasibility of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable connecting the contiguous United States, the United States Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria.

119th Congress · introduced 2025-02-27 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

To direct the Secretary of Commerce to submit to Congress a report containing an assessment of the value, cost, and feasibility of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable connecting the contiguous United States, the United States Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Plain summary

This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to submit a report to Congress that assesses the feasibility, value, cost, and security implications of a submarine fiber optic cable to connect the contiguous United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria. The report must include, among other topics, an assessment of the potential establishment of a data center and high-security cloud services facility in the U.S. Virgin Islands for certain national security communications.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To direct the Secretary of Commerce to submit to Congress a report containing an assessment of the value, cost, and feasibility of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable connecting the contiguous United States, the United States Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large] · 1 cosponsors

Money: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 1737, a bill to direct the Secretary of Commerce to submit to Congress a report containing an assessment of the value, cost, and feasibility of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable connecting the contiguous United States, the United States Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria (2025-06-20) No linked contracts or vendors yet.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119hr1737.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hr>

Record fed-us-cong119-hr1737 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills