Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Kansas committee hears bill to include broadband revenue in city franchise fees
Summary
The House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications heard testimony on HB 25-86, which would amend KSA 12-2001 to include broadband revenues in the definition of 'gross receipts' for local 5% franchise fees; proponents said it closes a loophole, opponents warned it may act as a new broadband tax and urged drafting a new statute. (No committee vote was taken.)
The House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications heard testimony on House Bill 25-86, which would amend the definition of "gross receipts" in KSA 12-2001 so that revenues from broadband Internet access services are included when cities calculate the 5% franchise fee charged to providers.
Proponents from cable companies said the change would modernize an antiquated statute and close what they described as a loophole that lets some providers use the telecom statute to access the public right of way without paying comparable fees. "So today, what we're asking for in the bill is that if you're a phone provider, you pay franchise fee on phone. If you're a broadband provider, you pay broad franchise fees on your broadband revenue," said Megan Battenberg, director of government affairs for Cox…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
