House committee advances rewrite of Wyoming Telecommunications Act, extends sunset to 2031

The House Corporations Committee on [date not specified] advanced Senate File 51, a broad update to the Wyoming Telecommunications Act that, among other changes, extends the act's sunset date to July 1, 2031 and narrows universal-service support to certain local telephone service.

Committee members and industry representatives said the bill is intended to modernize language in the three-decade-old law and to preserve state primacy in telecom regulation. "If we lose our primacy in Wyoming ... it goes to the federal government, the FCC," Jason Hendricks, a telecom industry representative, said during the presentation.

The bill updates definitions and clarifies what telecommunications services remain regulated and eligible for support from the state universal service fund. Under the rewritten definitions, only noncompetitive local exchange service and switched access service would remain regulated and eligible for support; wireless and most broadband would not be regulated or supported. Hendricks said the bill's authors also changed how the fund treats multiple lines, limiting support to one line per location and raising the local-rate benchmark from $30 to $35, a change he said would reduce universal-service payments over time.

Stakeholders from incumbent and competitive providers and the Wyoming Public Service Commission described the bill as the product of extensive interim discussions involving industry, consumer groups and the commission. Chris Petrie, deputy chairman of the Wyoming Public Service Commission, said the changes are largely housekeeping and modernization that preserve the commission's existing powers.

The bill adds a rule limiting when political subdivisions may enter the broadband market. "We're not saying you can't do it, but at least give industry the opportunity to provide service first," Jody Levin, representing Charter and Verizon, said describing the restriction on municipal broadband in the draft.

Public commenters representing the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation and Wyoming Business Alliance urged the committee to preserve universal-service support for remote rural subscribers and to keep regulatory authority at the state level.

The committee accepted a technical amendment that removed now-obsolete sections related to an earlier, struck provision on prepaid wireless contributions and adjusted the bill's effective date language. The amendment was moved and seconded by committee members and carried by voice vote, and the full bill was approved on a roll-call vote of 9-0.

What the bill does: extends the Telecommunications Act sunset to 07/01/2031; narrows regulatory scope to local exchange and switched access; removes most broadband and wireless from universal-service support; limits universal-service support to one line per location; raises the local-rate benchmark to $35; modernizes filing and notice requirements; permits municipalities to provide broadband only after industry opportunity and within limits.

Next steps: The bill will be carried to the floor by a sponsor; the committee recorded the vote and recommended passage.

Votes at a glance: Senate File 51, "Wyoming Telecommunications Act Revisions," as amended — Roll call: Brown (Aye), Heft (Aye), Johnson (Aye), Lucas (Aye), Webb (Aye), Weber (Aye), Locke (absentee aye), Yin (Aye), Knapp (Aye). Tally: 9 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved by committee.

Background context: Witnesses said the bill is the result of interim working-group meetings that included the Public Service Commission, the Office of Consumer Advocate, providers, AARP and Farm Bureau. They described the changes as modernization to reflect competition and new technologies and to keep dispute-resolution authority at the state level rather than the FCC.

Issues left open: Committee members requested specific cost and assessment numbers from the Public Service Commission; the commission provided an illustration of the assessment rate and an example surcharge from a commercial bill. The committee also discussed whether the benchmark increase to $35 reflects inflation and how quickly universal-service support should phase down.