The Illinois legislature propelled a small-cells bill to the governor’s desk after the Senate voted 41-7 Thursday to concur with House amendments to SB-1451. The House passed the bill 62-41 Tuesday (see 1711080033). Like legislation enacted in about a dozen other states but vetoed in California, the Illinois bill would seek to streamline 5G deployment by pre-empting local jurisdiction over wireless infrastructure siting. Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) has 60 days to decide whether to sign.

An Illinois small-cells bill seemed poised for passage after the House voted 62-41 Tuesday for an amended SB-1451. The Senate must concur with House amendments and placed the bill on its Wednesday calendar. The Senate last passed the bill in May, 47-8. The bill would streamline 5G deployment by pre-empting local governments (see 1711070054).

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska agreed to ask stakeholders if the state USF is fulfilling statutory goals after supporting a short-term fix to Alaska USF addressing what to do in a shortage situation. At a Wednesday meeting, commissioners voted 4-1 for the short-term measure and 4-1 to seek comment on broader USF questions. Under the short-term item, the Alaska USF administrator would distribute funds first for administrative costs, then the Lifeline program, then other universal service programs with oldest claims first and “pro-rated among claimants within a monthly accounting period based on the total unpaid claims for that period.” Except for claims before the effective date, the administrator wouldn’t pay claims that remain unpaid more than six months after accrual, it said. Commissioner Jan Wilson voted no on the short-term measure because she objects to the commission not fully funding USF by adopting a surcharge less than what was requested, she said. It should be fully funded until the fund size is reduced, she said. The long-term item seeks comment on several questions by Commissioner Rebecca Pauli, who previously backed setting a date to terminate AUSF and come up with a replacement (see 1710250022). Pauli asked if universal intrastate interexchange service, regardless of technology, is provided at reasonable rates throughout the state. If not, Pauli wants more details and an assessment of how to get there, she said. Chairman Stephen McAlpine voted no on the long-term proposal, saying, “Sometimes it’s more important that you make a decision than is the decision that you make.”

Maryland and Oklahoma now reimburse for store-and-forward, an increase to 15 such states since the Center for Connected Health Policy's April report (see 1704200005), but state support of other telehealth waned or stayed the same, CCHP reported Tuesday. CCHP said 21 states reimburse for remote patient monitoring. That’s a net decline of one state, because while Oklahoma now requires reimbursement, the Hawaii and Kentucky Medicaid programs don’t appear to have implemented state laws requiring reimbursement. The District of Columbia and 48 states reimburse for live video, unchanged.

Rivada is a capable alternative to FirstNet and AT&T for states weighing opt-out, wrote Rivada board members and ex-Govs. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., and Martin O’Malley, D-Md., in a Monday letter to the House Communications Subcommittee. The panel last week discussed costs of opting out (see 1711060045). Bush and O’Malley thanked FirstNet CEO Mike Poth for saying at the hearing that termination fees of up to billions of dollars -- for states that opt out but later want to opt in -- are worst-case estimates.

Small-cells legislation passed the Illinois House Public Utilities Committee 16-3 Tuesday. Friday is the final action deadline for SB-1451, which would streamline 5G deployment by pre-empting local jurisdiction on wireless siting in the right of way (see 1710250027).

Gov. Gary Herbert (R) opted in to FirstNet, making Utah the 31st state or territory to accept AT&T’s state plan, the carrier said in a Monday news release. A House subcommittee hearing Wednesday discussed costs of opting out (see 1711010035).

The Louisiana Public Service Commission granted AT&T’s request to exit the state Lifeline program in all ILEC service areas except those in Connect America Fund II census blocks, in an order released Friday. In its petition to relinquish status as an eligible telecom carrier, AT&T said the number of Louisiana Lifeline customers declined 92 percent from 2008 to 2016 and the company now serves less than 1 percent of state Lifeline subscribers. AT&T is exiting Lifeline programs in several states due to increased competition and recent changes to the federal USF program (see 1705020049).

ExteNet got New York state OK for an acquisition of Axiom’s dark fiber and wholesale customers in the New York City area (see 1708080017). The Department of Public Service said the deal doesn’t require commission action, so it’s deemed granted effective Monday, Telecom Office acting Director Debra LaBelle wrote in a letter in docket 17-01731.

"Our flip phone past needs to keep up with the technologies of the future," said Michigan Sen. Joe Hune (R), touting his state's small-cells bill Thursday at a Michigan Senate Energy and Technology Committee hearing. Hune last month introduced SB-637, which would pre-empt local jurisdiction in rights of way (see 1710200023). CTIA, Verizon and ExteNet officials supported the bill at the hearing. Fifth-generation "cannot be delivered without the infrastructure in place,” and the bill would remove barriers to deployment, said CTIA Director-State Legislative Affairs Lisa McCabe. Electric cooperatives don’t want to stand in the way of small-cell wireless technology but said they’re concerned 5G won’t serve rural areas, said Michigan Electric Cooperative Association President Craig Borr. Co-ops have safety concerns such as the danger of crowding poles with small cells too close to electric lines, said HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative CEO Mark Kappler. Also, most power lines are on private property, not public rights of way, “and we do not have the right in those easements to convey those property rights to another party,” he said. The committee also heard -- and wireline industry officials supported -- SB-636, a bill to streamline county regulations said to be barriers to fiber deployment, including high permit and inspection fees. County road agencies are working on streamlining permitting processes, but protecting the public takes priority and the agencies’ cost-based fees are higher in more complex projects, said County Road Association Deputy Director Ed Noyola. Free State Foundation Senior Fellow Theodore Bolema supported both bills in written testimony. “Removing local regulatory barriers to broadband deployment should be a priority for policymakers who want to see more people have access to broadband.” A Michigan resident opposed the wireless bill because she said she gets sick from RF radiation.