Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that establishes certain rules and regulations for city-owned telecommunications service providers.

Highlights:

• Requires all city-owned communications service providers to perform all of the following (Sec. 1):
• Comply with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations;
• Limit the provision of communications services to an area within the corporate limits of the city providing the service; and
• Provide nondiscriminatory access to private communications service providers on a first-come, first-serve basis, including rights-of-way, poles, and conduits owned, leased, or operated by the city unless the facilities have insufficient capacity for access.

• Prohibits all city-owned communications service providers from doing any of the following (Sec. 1):
• Directly or indirectly withhold or delay the provision of utility services;
• Require any person to use or subscribe to any communications service provided by the city-owned provider;
• Air advertisements or other promotions for the city-owned communications service on a public, educational, or governmental access channel if the city requires another communications service provider to carry the channel;
• Use city resources not allocated to the city-owned communications service to promote the city-owned service in comparison to private services;
• Subsidize the provision of communications services with funds from any other non-communications service or other revenue source; or
• Price any communications service below the cost of providing the service.

• Requires city-owned communications services to comply with open bidding procedures to provide service to customers outside the service area of the city (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes certain rules and regulations for city-owned telecommunications service providers.

Highlights:

• Requires all city-owned communications service providers to perform all of the following (Sec. 1):
• Comply with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations;
• Limit the provision of communications services to an area within the corporate limits of the city providing the service; and
• Provide nondiscriminatory access to private communications service providers on a first-come, first-serve basis, including rights-of-way, poles, and conduits owned, leased, or operated by the city unless the facilities have insufficient capacity for access.

• Prohibits all city-owned communications service providers from doing any of the following (Sec. 1):
• Directly or indirectly withhold or delay the provision of utility services;
• Require any person to use or subscribe to any communications service provided by the city-owned provider;
• Air advertisements or other promotions for the city-owned communications service on a public, educational, or governmental access channel if the city requires another communications service provider to carry the channel;
• Use city resources not allocated to the city-owned communications service to promote the city-owned service in comparison to private services;
• Subsidize the provision of communications services with funds from any other non-communications service or other revenue source; or
• Price any communications service below the cost of providing the service.

• Requires city-owned communications services to comply with open bidding procedures to provide service to customers outside the service area of the city (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text