SB5439 – Facilitating the coordinated installation of broadband along state highways.
Prime Sponsor – Senator Saldaña (D; 37th District; Seattle) (Co-sponsors Kuderer, Lovelett, and Nguyen – Ds)
Current status – Dead
In the Senate – Passed
Referred to the Committee on Transportation; had a hearing February 15th. Replaced by a substitute and voted out of Committee February 22nd. Referred to Rules. Completely replaced by a striker from the prime sponsor on the floor and passed by the Senate unanimously February 26th. (The changes made by the striker are summarized by staff at the end of it.)
In the House –
Referred to the Committee on Transportation. Had a hearing March 11th, and passed out of committee March 31st. Referred to Rules April 2nd.
Next step would be – Action by the Rules Committee.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.
Summary –
Senate Floor Amendment –
Substitute –
There’s a summary by staff of the changes made by the substitute at the beginning of it.
Original bill –
The bill requires the Department of Transportation to provide at least sixty days notice of road construction projects to personal wireless and broadband service providers within the same county or counties, by website or electronic subscriptions, to allow collaboration on the installation of their facilities during construction. (If a provider replies within 30 days, the Department may schedule a consultation meeting to review installation opportunities and may determine the feasibility and viability of a collaboration project, but isn’t under any obligation to provide for installation.)
If there isn’t a service provider ready or able to install personal wireless service facilities or broadband conduit as part of a project, the bill would authorize the Department to do that in order to reduce future traffic impacts to the public; support vehicle miles traveled reduction and congestion management by allowing for more telework; and prepare the transportation system for autonomous vehicles. It also authorizes the Department to allow nonprofit service providers to use a right-of-way for broadband infrastructure in rural and unserved areas at no cost, provided that there’s quantifiable commensurate benefit to the transportation system and users of these specified kinds from the use of the conduit.
The bill requires the Governor’s statewide broadband office, in consultation with local governments and the UTC, to create a registration system for service providers applying to install broadband infrastructure that provides automatic notice to the Department of Transportation and other broadband providers applying for installation permits in the same area so opportunities for coordination can be identified.
It requires the Department of Commerce’s regular reports on broadband infrastructure to include the locations where broadband infrastructure has been deployed in the state during the prior five years and is planned to be employed, including along state highways.
It expands the exemption from the laws governing franchises on State highways that personal wireless services currently have to include broadband infrastructure.