Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Transportation Committee
SSB 5690
Brief Description: Concerning actions of the department of transportation to notify utility owners of projects and seek federal funding for utility relocation costs.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators MacEwen, Chapman, Lovelett and Muzzall).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Requires the Washington State Department of Transportation to adopt and maintain an agency policy to proactively provide utility owners with information about planned state highway projects, and when feasible, to provide this information with at least one year's advance notice for planned state fish barrier removal projects.
Hearing Date: 3/17/25
Staff: Jennifer Harris (786-7143).
Background:

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) may grant a franchise to a utility to place its facilities in or on WSDOT right-of-way if the WSDOT deems it in the public interest.  The utility facility must be made subject to removal when necessary for the construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of the highway at the expense of the franchise holder, except that the state is required to pay the share of the cost of removal the state is entitled to receive in the form of reimbursement from the federal government.

 

The WSDOT is required to adopt and maintain an agency policy that requires the WSDOT to proactively provide broadband facility owners with information about planned state highway projects to enable collaboration between broadband facility owners and the WSDOT to identify opportunities for the installation of broadband facilities during the appropriate phase of projects when possible.

 

"Broadband infrastructure" is defined as networks of deployed telecommunications equipment and technologies necessary to provide high-speed internet access and other advanced telecommunications services to end users.
Summary of Bill:

The WSDOT is required to adopt and maintain an agency policy to proactively provide utility owners with information about planned state highway projects to enable collaboration between utility owners and the WSDOT to identify opportunities for the installation of utilities during the appropriate phase of projects when possible.  When feasible, this information must be provided for planned state fish barrier removal projects with at least one year's advance notice.

 

The WSDOT is encouraged to request available federal funding for fish barrier removal projects and to include utility relocation costs within the request, provided these costs are eligible for federal funding.

 

The WSDOT must report to the Transportation Committees of the Legislature and the Office of Financial Management by December 15, 2026, with the following:

  • information about any requests made for federal funding and awards received for fish barrier removal project utility relocations; and
  • recommendations for changes to state law, rules, or policies that would enable the WSDOT to receive federal grant funding or reimbursements for utility relocation to the extent permitted.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.