Three Va. telecom bills saw action in legislature. Bill to prohi...
Three Va. telecom bills saw action in legislature. Bill to prohibit municipalities from cross-subsidizing their telecom services with contributions from municipal taxes, other utility services or in-kind support cleared Senate committee process and headed to chamber floor. Under HB-…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
2397, municipally owned telecom carriers would have to file annual report with Va. Corporation Commission showing they had separately accounted for all telecom-service revenue and expenses and that they had received no monetary or in-kind support from municipality, such as free access to municipally owned land. Bill also would prohibit municipal telecoms from denying for-profit telecom carriers access to their poles and conduits if any space was available. It would allow state regulators to deregulate rates for specific categories of customers in competitive markets. Va. bill for state no-call telemarketing list was defeated in House Commerce & Labor Committee. Failed measure (HB-2311) would have had list administered by state Office of Consumer Affairs and enforced by civil lawsuits brought by state or individuals. Va. House Science & Technology Committee knocked down another Va. telecom bill that would have designated central coordinating agency for all public-sector broadband implementation efforts. Committee voted to indefinitely table HB-1816, which would have designated Va. Center for Innovative Technology as broadband coordinator. Tabling action effectively kills bill.