The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ordered more talks between the state Commerce Department and eligible telecom carriers about possible changes to a list of best practices for Lifeline outreach. Commissioners voted 5-0 at a livestreamed meeting Thursday for Commissioner John Tuma’s motion on the item in docket CI-20-747. The department asked the PUC to adopt recommendations for changes that it developed, but Tuma said he wanted to give telecom companies more flexibility and didn’t want to require anything at this time. “First, try to work it out,” he said. While supporting the motion, Chair Katie Sieben noted it’s good to keep pushing companies to increase their customer outreach. The Minnesota Telecom Alliance is “absolutely” open to talks, said CEO Brent Christensen. Commerce’s recommended changes weren’t meant to be prescriptive, but the department supports discussions, said its representative, Assistant Attorney General Richard Dornfeld. Assistant AG Travis Murray, representing the state AG office, noted the recommendations aren’t requirements but the "result of issues we've seen," and shouldn’t be "a grand imposition." Even so, he said the AG office doesn’t oppose more discussion.
Maryland’s attorney general found no potential constitutional or preemptive problems with a state bill to require kids’ privacy rules, said its sponsor, Del. Jared Solomon (D), at a livestreamed hearing Wednesday. House Economic Matters Committee members appeared to support requirements for websites at a hearing on a bill (HB-901) based on California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act. The Minnesota House Commerce Committee voted by voice to advance a similar bill (HF-2257) to the Judiciary Committee at a hearing the same day.
A New York state Senate panel supported a wireless tower bill that would require cellphone companies and third-party infrastructure companies to submit plans to power all their towers with 100% renewable energy by 2031. Two Republicans voted no at the Energy and Telecommunications Committee’s livestreamed hearing Tuesday. Under S-4305, which goes next to a third-reading floor vote, companies would have to file plans with the New York Public Service Commission by Dec. 31, 2025. "New Yorkers deserve better than mandates,” protested ranking member Mario Mattera. “Why can't we transition to things when we're ready?” The technology already exists and moving to clean energy is important, responded bill sponsor and committee Chair Kevin Parker (D). Companies have several years before they have to get to 100% renewable, he added. Sen. Mark Walczyk (R) said local emergency medical services coordinators raised concerns about what it means for generators that provide backup power in many locations and sometimes primary power in rural areas. EMS should raise such concerns with Parker directly, the chair said: “This does not reduce or interfere with any redundancies.”
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission should “avoid rule changes that may exacerbate … uncontrolled growth” of Oklahoma USF (OUSF), CTIA said in Friday comments on a proposal in docket RM 2023-000006. One proposed change would “lower the evidentiary standard for OUSF surcharge increases” by allowing the fund administrator to forgo filing supporting testimony, said CTIA: That would be OK only for proposals to maintain or reduce the surcharge. The wireless industry association also raised concerns with a proposal to give the commission “sole discretion” on whether to hold a hearing to resolve objections to proposed surcharge changes. That, coupled with a proposal that would automatically deny objections if the commission doesn’t act on them within 30 days, would limit stakeholders’ opportunity to disagree with fee changes, CTIA said. Rural carriers proposed making it easier for surcharge changes to take effect. If no objection is filed to the administrator’s recommendation and commissioners choose not to adjust it, the recommendation should take effect in 30 days, said Atlas Telephone, Consolidated Communications and others. If an objection is filed but the commission takes no action on it in 45 days, then the objection should be deemed denied and the administrator’s recommendation should take effect the next day, the RLECs said. With a more efficient process for modifying the OUSF assessment, recipients will likely obtain support in a “more timely” manner, said Oklahoma Corporation Commission staff in a Wednesday rule impact statement. Staff said it doesn’t expect any adverse economic effects to small businesses or increases to compliance costs.
Broadcasters and internet and advertising groups slammed a proposed digital ad levy in a Connecticut tax overhaul bill (HB-5673), in written testimony Monday. “The proposed tax on digital advertising would represent one of the most serious threats to commercial advertising in the United States in several decades,” said a coalition including NAB, NCTA, NetChoice, TechNet, Internet Coalition, Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and Association of National Advertisers.
A Montana state senator on Friday urged colleagues not to significantly change his comprehensive privacy bill. SB-384 is based on Connecticut’s law and balances consumer protections with industry “functionality,” Sen. Daniel Zolnikov (R) told the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee at a livestreamed hearing. Industry and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) supported Zolnikov's bill at the hearing, but Vice Chair Willis Curdy (D) noted a fast-approaching March 3 deadline to transmit bills to the opposite chamber.
Industry groups urged Maryland legislators to remove a private right of action (PRA) from a comprehensive privacy bill. The Maryland House Economic Matters Committee considered two privacy bills by Del. Sara Love (D) at a livestreamed hearing Wednesday. Industry urged Maryland to follow Connecticut’s approach, but the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said to instead base the bill on a proposal by Congress. Internet groups slammed a separate bill to regulate social media platforms for children.
Nebraska should lift state restrictions keeping public power utilities from leasing their dark fiber to ISPs in rural areas, said Sen. Tom Brandt (R) at a livestreamed hearing Tuesday. However, telecom industry groups raised concerns at the unicameral legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee’s hearing on Brandt’s LB-61. Utilities don’t want to get in the commercial internet business, said Brandt, noting other states have eased similar limits. Nebraska's "dark fiber statutes are antiquated and need to be repealed,” said Brian Adams, Omaha Public Power District chief of staff. The existing law discourages utilities from partnering with others to provide high-speed internet, he said. Other supporters included Allo Communications, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Farmers Union, League of Nebraska Municipalities and Nebraska Association of County Officials. Utilities won’t use energy rates to pay for broadband, he stressed. Raising concerns the bill might incentivize overbuilding, Sen. Wendy DeBoer (D) asked if the state’s current limits should remain for served areas. Nebraska Telecommunications Association President Tip O’Neill opposed LB-61, saying it would remove key protections for transparency and fair competition. State law needn’t be changed, he said. Answering a question from DeBoer, O’Neill said limiting the bill to unserved areas might be preferable, but he would have to talk with association members including Lumen and Great Plains Communications. The bill would “undercut competition” by subsidizing broadband overbuilders, preventing ISP challenges and eliminating oversight, said Charter Communications Senior Manager-Government Affairs Dayton Murty. Sen. Bruce Bostelman (R) disagreed with overbuilding concerns. ISPs failed to serve rural Nebraska, he said. “We need to look at any way that can help.”
A Kansas bill to exempt satellite TV and streaming video services from the state’s video franchise law cleared the Senate Utilities Committee in a voice vote Thursday. SB-144 would clarify that municipalities can’t apply a 5% franchise fee to the services that lack facilities in the right of way. “This is a clarification bill” that's meant to “maintain the status quo,” said DirecTV and Dish Network counsel Damon Stewart of Orrick Herrington. It responds to a number of cities that are "creatively interpreting” the 20-year-old Kansas statute in lawsuits against Hulu and Netflix in an attempt to get them to pay ROW fees, he said. Similar bills passed by overwhelming margins in Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio and Arizona, Stewart added. Ranking minority member Marci Francisco (D) raised concerns the committee didn’t give a “fair hearing” to written opposition she received only when the meeting started. We couldn’t find the testimony online and the committee didn’t respond to our request for copies by our deadline. A Missouri Senate panel cleared a similar bill Tuesday (see 2302150049).
Washington state should develop its own broadband map, said the state broadband office’s director, Mark Vasconi, at a hearing livestreamed Wednesday. The state’s Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee heard testimony but didn’t vote on SB-5718. Vasconi said he was neutral on the bill, which would require his office to develop and maintain a broadband map showing serviceable locations and service capabilities by July 1, 2024. The bill also would require the office to update the map at least twice a year. “We need more precise data” than FCC maps show, but the proposed due date is a “lofty aspiration,” commented Vasconi. Pressed by Sen. Shelly Short (R) if that should be delayed, Vasconi said “more time is always better than less.” The office can do it by July 1, 2024, but it would need to hire more people, he said. The House Innovation Committee advanced that chamber’s version (HB-1746) Tuesday.