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House Energy Committee amends HB 122 to remove broadband from right-of-way revisions; amended bill passes committee 9-5
Summary
Committee staff described HB 122 as updating right-of-way law to add broadband and natural gas lines. Members amended the bill to remove broadband and passed the amended bill on a 9–5 roll call; proxies and a voice vote were used for the amendment.
The House Energy Committee opened executive action on House Bill 122, a statutory update described in committee as a revision to 1940s right-of-way law to address utility lines and facilities and to add broadband lines and natural gas pipelines.
Burns, asked by the chair to give a synopsis, told the committee: "This is a bill revising right of way laws for utility lines and facilities to include broadband lines and natural gas pipelines." Burns also noted an amendment (HB 122-001) had been drafted for the committee’s consideration.
Representative Brewster moved the amendment to remove broadband from the bill’s text, saying some people objected to including broadband and "we'll just amend them out, and then it won't be any problem." The committee held a voice vote (including proxy votes); the amendment was reported carried with 14 ayes and no noes reported in the voice/proxy tally.
A subsequent motion to pass the amended bill drew floor discussion. Representative Carter said he would vote no, telling the committee: "I'm gonna vote no on this," and explaining he feared excluding broadband could hamper future electrification and the deployment of technologies over the next decades. Representative Fielder and Representative Brewster spoke in favor of the amended approach, arguing limited right-of-way expansion and continued need for natural gas.
The committee held a roll-call vote. The transcript records the following votes: Representative Commence—Yes; Representative Fielder—Yes; Representative Joy—Yes; Representative Lee—No; Representative Feyant—No (by proxy); Representative Valette—Yes; Representative Brewster—Yes; Representative Carter—No; Representative Sharp—Yes; Representative Griffith—No; Representative Zolnikoff—Yes (by proxy); Representative Mitchell—Yes (by proxy); Representative Kordom—No; Representative Perry—Yes. The clerk read the tally as 9 ayes and 5 noes; the motion carries and the amended HB 122 passed out of committee.
The record does not indicate the full authoring / sponsor statement beyond the synopsis, nor does it identify a named mover for the final passage motion in the transcript; committee staff noted the amendment removed broadband because broadband is not currently regulated like investor-owned utilities. The next procedural step outside this transcript is not recorded here.
The committee then scheduled an informational presentation by energy attorney Michael Nasi on federal energy rules and the state grid and adjourned.
