California Assembly Bill AB1549 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1549AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 22, 2016 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 16, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 14, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 13, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 4, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Wood SEPTEMBER 11, 2015 An act to add Section 14051 to the Government Code, relating to highways. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1549, as amended, Wood. Department of Transportation: state highway rights-of-way: fiber optic cables. Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of state highways and associated property. Existing law provides for the department to issue encroachment permits with respect to structures and activities in, under, or over any portion of the right-of-way of a state highway. This bill would require the department to maintain an inventory  on a centralized database  of all broadband conduits  that house fiber optic communication cables and are  owned by the  department that house fiber optic communication cables, that are   department,  located on state highway rights-of-way, and  that are  installed on or after January 1, 2017, and to make that information available upon request of  verified  companies or organizations working on broadband deployment. The bill would require the department to notify  verified   those  companies and organizations  on its Intern   et Web site  of  specified  department-led highway construction projects and would authorize  verified   those  companies or organizations to collaborate with the department to install a broadband conduit as part of each project. The bill would require the department, as part of each project, to install broadband conduit capable of supporting fiber optic communication cables if no  verified  company or organization  working on broadband deployment  collaborates with the department and no broadband conduit previously exists in a project area. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 14051 is added to the Government Code, to read: 14051. (a)  The   For purposes of this section, "companies or organizations working on broadband deployment" includes, but is not limited to, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and telephone corporations, as defined in Section 234 of the Public Utilities Code.   (b)     The department shall maintain an inventory  on a centralized database  of all broadband conduits  that house fiber optic communication cables and are  owned by the  department that house fiber optic communication cables, that are   department,  located on state highway rights-of-way, and  that are  installed on or after January 1, 2017. The department shall make the information available upon request of  verified  companies or organizations working on broadband deployment.  (b)   (c)  (1) During the design phase of a department-led highway construction  project,   project that is parallel to the highway, spans at least two overpasses, and involves construction methods that are suitable for installing broadband conduit,  the department shall notify  verified  companies and organizations  working on broadband deployment  of the project  on   its Internet Web site  to encourage collaborative broadband installations. (2) For the purpose of supporting fiber optic communication cables, after receiving notification from the department, a verified  company or organization  working on broadband deployment  may collaborate with the department to install a broadband conduit as part of the project. (3) If no  verified  company or organization  working on broadband deployment  collaborates with the department and no broadband conduit previously exists in the project area, the department, as part of the project, shall install a broadband conduit capable of supporting fiber optic communication cables. (4) Nothing in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, requires the department to report on cables owned by other entities.