The House of Delegates in Charleston, West Virginia approved the Broadband Expansion Act of 2019 via a 97-1 vote on January 28, Metro News reported.
The bill includes “Make-Ready Pole Access” provisions, which will require the state Public Service Commission to ensure electric utilities assess the likelihood of adding on broadband service to their existing infrastructure. The “West Virginia Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act” is also included in the legislation. It will permit providers to install broadband technologies on public rights-of-way and utility poles.
Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, proposed an amendment that requested to alter the salvage rate for taxes on new cell towers, but the House denied it. In reference to the rejected amendment, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Shott, R-Mercer, said the salvage rate, which is called the Wireless Technology Business Property Valuation Act, is “modest,” and only applies for the first five years within installation.
According to Metro News, Shott said, “It’s important to know we aren’t talking about the counties losing anything…because these towers don’t exist and may never exist without some incentive to build them.” Delegate Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, is the lead sponsor on the bill. He said, “This bill will unleash investment and the entrepreneurial spirit of our people. That will translate into jobs, opportunity and a better quality of life for everyone.” The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
January 30, 2019
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