HB 1347 Wireless communications; infrastructure established

About HB-1347

Wireless communications infrastructure. Prohibits a locality from charging an application fee, consulting fee, or other fee associated with the submission, review, processing and approval of an application to construct a new wireless support structure, for the substantial modification of a wireless support structure, or for collocation of a wireless facility or replacement of a wireless facility on an existing structure or utility pole that is not required for similar types of commercial development within the locality’s jurisdiction. The measure permits a locality to charge fees for the costs directly incurred by it relating to the granting or processing of an application. Such fees are capped at the lesser of the amount charged by the locality for a building permit for any other type of commercial development or land use development, or $500 for a collocation application, small cell facility or distributed antenna system or $1,000 for a new wireless support structure or for a substantial modification of a wireless support structure. Localities are prohibited from (i) requiring an applicant to submit information about, or evaluate an applicant's business decisions with respect to its designed service, customer demand for service, or quality of its service to or from a particular area or site, or information that concerns the specific need for the wireless support structure; (ii) evaluating an application based on the availability of other potential locations for the placement of wireless support structures or wireless facilities; (iii) dictating the type of wireless facilities, infrastructure or technology to be used by the applicant; and (iv) requiring the removal of existing wireless support structures or wireless facilities, as a condition for approval of an application. The measure grants to any domestic or foreign telecommunications provider or broadband provider to construct, maintain, and operate conduit, poles, cable, switches and related appurtenances and facilities along, across, upon and under any public highway or rights-of-way in the Commonwealth. Localities are barred from (a) imposing certain environmental testing, sampling, or monitoring requirements or (b) instituting any moratorium on the permitting, construction or issuance of approvals of new wireless support structures, substantial modifications of wireless support structures, or collocations.