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Senate committee advances utility-relocation bill after debate over cost shift to local governments
Summary
The Senate Committee on Transportation voted to report favorably on CS/SB 818, a bill to streamline utility relocation for road and rail projects. Opponents warned the measure would shift relocation costs to counties and municipalities; supporters said it improves coordination and provides reimbursement mechanisms for communications providers.
The Senate Committee on Transportation on an unconfirmed date advanced CS/SB 818, a bill intended to streamline utility relocation for public road and rail corridor projects and to require more timely coordination between road-building authorities and utility owners.
The measure, sponsored on the floor by Senator Stan McClain, would require utility owners to provide relocation schedules to avoid project delays and establishes circumstances under which the authority may cover relocation costs. An amendment adopted in committee declares that the act “fulfills an important state interest.” CS/SB 818 was reported favorably by the committee.
The debate centered on who should pay for relocations. Chris Doolin of the Small County Coalition warned the committee that the bill would “put a dent in the appropriation that you provide for small county outreach” and could strain rural budgets. Peter Abello of the Florida Association of Counties said the measure “creates a costly unfunded mandate” by shifting costs for broadband and video utilities from providers to state and local governments and opposed the bill.
Floyd Self of Charter Communications urged support, saying the bill “provides additional opportunities for collaboration, planning, and improved communications between utilities and road-building authorities” and argued that competitive communications providers currently shoulder disproportionately high costs for access to rights-of-way without mechanisms to recover relocation expenses.
Senator McClain told the committee the bill represents a long-overdue update to how utility relocation is coordinated as communications infrastructure and deployment have changed.
The committee adopted an amendment (barcode 146208) that includes the legislative finding of state interest. The amendment and the committee substitute were approved and CS/SB 818 was reported favorably to the next committee or calendar. The motion and roll call were recorded in the committee minutes.
