SB 1000 – Relating to Communication Services

On Tuesday, April 9, SB 1000 by Senator Travis Hutson (R-Palm Coast) was heard before the Senate Finance and Tax Committee and was reported favorably with 5 yeas 2 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.

This bill changes the way the use of public rights-of-way by providers of communications services are governed. Specifically:

• Prohibiting a local government from instituting permits for collocation of small wireless facilities or related poles.
• Deleting the authority for a local government to require performance bonds and security funds.
• Instead, the bill allows them to require a construction bond limited to no more than 1 year after the construction is completed;
• Requiring a local government to accept a letter of credit or similar instrument issued by any financial institution authorized to do business within the U.S.;
• Allowing a provider of communications services to add a local government to any existing bond, insurance policy, or other financial instrument, and requiring the local government to accept such coverage;
• Prohibiting a local government from requiring a permit applicant to provide inventories, maps, or locations of communication facilities in the rights-of-way, unless it is necessary to avoid interference with existing facilities
• Providing additional requirements for a local government’s permit registration and application process for communications services providers’ use of public rights-of-way
  
  

SB 1000 will now move to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AIF supports legislation that will both reduce the communications services permitting process and have a positive financial impact on Florida’s consumers, many of whom are businesses that pay for cable or satellite service.