EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0626*
HOUSE BILL 626
R2, E4, C9 5lr1139
By: Delegates Taylor, Boafo, and Phillips
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Real Estate Development and Highway Rights–of–Way – Installation of 2
Broadband Micro Conduits and Microducts 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the installation of micro conduits in any utility easements 4
and building power or telecommunication rooms during the new construction or 5
major improvement of certain commercial and residential premises; requiring that a 6
buried fiber optic cable installed in a highway right–of–way include conduit 7
containing at least a certain number of microducts; requiring the Department of 8
Transportation or a unit of local government to ensure that a broadband service 9
provider has access to the conduit on a neutral and nondiscriminatory basis; 10
authorizing the Department and a unit of local government to charge a broadband 11
service provider a reasonable fee for access to the conduit; and generally relating to 12
broadband infrastructure. 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Public Safety 15
Section 12–207 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
BY adding to 19
Article – Transportation 20
Section 8–654.1 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 23
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 24
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 25
Article – Public Safety 26
2 HOUSE BILL 626
12–207. 1
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “MULTIPLE TENANT ENVIR ONMENT” MEANS 2
COMMERCIAL OR RESIDE NTIAL PREMISE S THAT ARE OCCUPIED BY MULTIPLE 3
ENTITIES. 4
(2) “MULTIPLE TENANT ENVIR ONMENT” INCLUDES A CENTRALLY 5
MANAGED RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPM ENT. 6
(B) DURING THE NEW CONSTR UCTION OR MAJOR IMPR OVEMENT, 7
INCLUDING ANY IMPROV EMENT OF ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE , OF A MULTIPLE 8
TENANT ENVIRONMENT , MICRO CONDUITS SHALL BE INSTALLED IN ANY UTILITY 9
EASEMENTS AND BUILDI NG POWER OR TELECOMM UNICATION ROOMS IN ORDER TO 10
ALLOW MULTIPLE BROAD BAND SERVICE PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE BROADBAND 11
ACCESS TO THE MULTIPLE TENA NT ENVIRONMEN T. 12
Article – Transportation 13
8–654.1. 14
(A) A BURIED FIBER OPTIC CABLE INSTALLED IN A HIGHW AY 15
RIGHT–OF–WAY ON OR AFTER OCTOBER 1, 2025, SHALL INCLUDE CONDUI T 16
CONTAINING AT LEAST SEVEN MICRODUCTS. 17
(B) THE DEPARTMENT OR A UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT : 18
(1) SHALL ENSURE THAT , ON REQUEST OF A BROADBAND SERVICE 19
PROVIDER, THE BROADBAND SERVICE PROVIDER HAS ACCESS TO THE CONDUIT 20
REQUIRED TO BE INSTALLED UNDER SUBS ECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION ON A 21
NEUTRAL AND NONDISCR IMINATORY BASIS ; AND 22
(2) MAY CHARGE A BROA DBAND SERVICE PROVIDER A REASONABLE 23
FEE FOR THE USE OF THE CONDUIT REQUIRED TO BE INSTALLED UNDER 24
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 25
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
October 1, 2025. 27