SB 5899-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST SUBSTITUTE)

Requires a public utility district providing wholesale telecommunications services to provide, at a just and reasonable rate, nondiscriminatory access for private providers of telecommunications services to poles, conduits, or other permanent distribution facilities owned by the public utility district unless the facilities have insufficient capacity for such access and additional capacity cannot reasonably be added to the facilities or such access would violate standard industry safety and operational requirements. Except as provided in a facilities use contract between a public utility district and a private telecommunications service provider, a public utility district shall not require the removal or prohibit the replacement of telecommunications facilities owned by private telecommunications service providers from its facilities.

Provides that, when the state auditor makes a finding that a public utility district providing wholesale telecommunications services has violated RCW 54.16.330 or this act, the district shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature within thirty days of the issue date of the finding. The report must include, at a minimum: (1) A description of all activities relating to the construction, acquisition, operation, marketing, and leasing of telecommunications facilities and wholesale telecommunications services; and

(2) A description of the number of new locations connected to the telecommunications facilities resulting from the provision of wholesale telecommunications services to internet service providers and entities authorized to provide telecommunications services to the general public.