HCSHB661--REIMBURSEMENTFORRELOCATIONOFUTILITYFACILITIES
SPONSOR: Keathley
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonTransportation byavoteof15to1,with1member
votingpresent.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
661.
Thisbillrequiresmunicipalities andtheMissouriDepartmentof
Transportation toreimbursenon-rate-regulatedutilityproviders,
includingtelecommunications, Internet,andcableproviders,for
facilityrelocationduetoroadmaintenance,construction,orother
right-of-wayworkactivity.
ThisbillisthesameasHCSHB2056(2024).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythataffectedcompanieshavenosayin
therelocationoftheirfacilities. Theyshouldbereimbursedwhen
decisionsbythelocalgovernmentsorMoDOTcausecostly
relocations. Otherwise,costsarepassedtotheconsumers. This
billwillhelpgetbroadbandtoallMissouriansfaster.Companies
havetousetheright-of-wayandmanypayfeestodoso,they
shouldn'talsobeforcedtobearthiscost.Thepolitical
subdivisionsthatbenefitfromtheservicesshouldpay.The
upcomingI-70expansionwillresultinsignificantrelocation
costs.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Keathley;
AssociatedIndustriesofMissouri;MissouriChamberofCommerceand
Industry;AssociationofMissouriElectricCooperatives;Gateway
Fiber;At&T;MCTA(TheMOCableTelecommunication Assoc.)
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatifthecostof
relocationfallsonalocalgovernment,itreallyfallsonthe
taxpayer. Manyrelocationscomeasaconsequenceofexpanding
sewer,water,andelectricwhencommunitiesareexpanding. Itis
badpublicpolicytohinderthisgrowth.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwerePatKelly,Municipal
LeagueofMetroStL;WillMarrs,CityofSpringfield;Rebecca
Eichelberger,MissouriAssociationOfMunicipalUtilities;Richard MissouriMunicipalLeague;ArnieC.Dienoff;ZachPollock,CityOf
Lee'sSummit;CaraStark,CityOfColumbia.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaytheright-of-wayisa
six-footcorridorontheoutsideofroadswhichrequirenopermits
orrent.Thetrade-offisthatifrelocationsneedtohappen,the
costisonthecompany.Privateeasementsarepurchasedbythe
statetomaketheright-of-way.
TestifyinginpersononthebillwasEricSchroeter,MoDOT.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.