1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Broadband Permitting Efficiency Act of 2023 . 2. State and Tribal permitting authority (a) In general The Secretary concerned shall establish (or, in a circumstance that would affect both Secretaries concerned, the Secretaries concerned shall jointly establish) a voluntary program under which a State or Indian Tribe may offer, and the Secretary concerned may agree, to enter into a memorandum of understanding to allow for the State or Indian Tribe to prepare environmental analyses required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) with respect to the issuance of a Federal authorization for a broadband project to be carried out within a right-of-way on National Forest System land, land managed by the Department of the Interior, or Indian Lands. Under such a memorandum of understanding, a State or Indian Tribe may volunteer to cooperate with the signatories to the memorandum in the preparation of the analyses required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. (b) Assumption of responsibilities (1) In general In entering into a memorandum of understanding under this section, the Secretary concerned may assign to a State or Indian Tribe, and the State or Indian Tribe may agree to assume, all or part of the responsibilities of the Secretary concerned for environmental analyses required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. (2) State or Indian Tribe responsibility (A) In general A State or Indian Tribe that assumes a responsibility under paragraph (1) shall be subject to the same procedural and substantive requirements as would apply if the responsibility were carried out by the Secretary concerned. (B) Effect of assumption of responsibility A State or Indian Tribe that assumes a responsibility, including a financial responsibility, under paragraph (1) shall be solely responsible and solely liable for carrying out, in lieu of the Secretary concerned, the responsibility assumed under that paragraph until the