California Assembly Bill AB1549 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1549AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 19, 2016 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 30, 2016 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:  broadband:  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, located on state highway rights-of-way, and installed on or after January 1, 2017, and to make that information available, upon request, to companies or organizations working on broadband deployment. The bill would  require the department to notify  those  companies and organizations  working on broadband deployment  on its Internet Web site of specified department-led highway construction projects and would authorize those companies and 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 company or organization working on broadband deployment collaborates with the department and no broadband conduit previously exists in a project area.   in consultation with stakeholders, on or before January 1, 2018, to develop guidelines to facilitate the installation of broadband conduit on state highway rights-of-way.  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) For purposes of this section, "companies or organizations working on broadband deployment" includes, but is not limited to, local governments, nonprofit organizations, cable television corporations, as defined in Section 216.4 of the Public Utilities Code, 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, located on state highway rights-of-way, and installed on or after January 1, 2017. The department shall make the information available, upon request, to companies or organizations working on broadband deployment.   (c)   (b)  (1) During the  design   project planning  phase of a department-led highway construction project that  was initiated on or after January 1, 2017,  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 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 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 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.   (3) The department, in consultation with stakeholders, on or before January 1, 2018, shall develop guidelines to facilitate the installation of broadband conduit on state highway rights-of-way. The guidelines shall address access to information on existing assets and collaboration on future projects.