Bill Summary for H 713 (2013-2014)

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Summary date: 

Apr 10 2013

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2013-2014 Session
House Bill 713 (Public) Filed Wednesday, April 10, 2013
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ENCOURAGE IMPROVEMENT TO THE STATE'S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE BY REQUIRING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BROADBAND CONDUIT IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OF STATE HIGHWAYS WHEN THOSE HIGHWAYS ARE CONSTRUCTED.
Intro. by Ramsey, Tine, Saine, Queen.

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Bill summary

Amends GS 136-18 to add to the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) powers the authority to construct conduits for telecommunication cable in the state right-of-way, with the costs of construction to be borne through the leasing of the conduit to private telecommunications companies. Creates the Conduit Installation Account as a nonreverting account within the Highway Trust Fund to receive revenues from conduit leasing; revenue in the account may be used only to fund the installation of telecommunications conduit in state right-of-way.

Enacts new GS 136-44.17 to require DOT to include in its planning for new roads and for improvements to existing roads the installation of conduit for telecommunications cables when all of the following apply: (1) less than 50% of households in the county where the road project is located have access to high-speed data or telecommunications services and (2) a provider of high-speed data or telecommunications services provides DOT with a letter indicating its interest in leasing the conduit at any time within five years of completion of the project.

Requires DOT to report no later than May 1, 2014, to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee and annually thereafter on its progress in implementing the program to install telecommunications conduits. The initial report shall include identification of any statutory or regulatory barriers to implementation of the conduit installation program. Requires each report to include a list of projects eligible for conduit installation in the next year with a  financial and market analysis and resulting estimate as to whether the conduit installation is likely to be cost-effective for that project.