SB.378 History — Last Amended in Assembly, June 29, 2021

02/10/21 — Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
02/11/21 — From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 13.
02/17/21 — Referred to Coms. on GOV. & F. and E., U. & C.
02/22/21 — (Ayes 32. Noes 4.)
02/22/21 — Art. IV. Sec. 8(a) of the Constitution dispensed with.
02/22/21 — Joint Rule 55 suspended. (Ayes 32. Noes 4. Page 272.)
03/24/21 — Set for hearing April 8.
04/08/21 — From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on E., U. & C. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 727.) (April 8).
04/12/21 — Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C.
04/16/21 — Set for hearing April 26.
05/03/21 — From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 915.) (April 26).
05/04/21 — Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
05/07/21 — Set for hearing May 17.
05/17/21 — From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
05/18/21 — Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
05/20/21 — In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
05/20/21 — Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 35. Noes 0. Page 1129.) Ordered to the Assembly.
05/28/21 — Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and C. & C.
06/10/21 — From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on C. & C. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 9).
06/14/21 — Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on C. & C.
06/29/21 — From committee with author’s amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on C. & C.
07/08/21 — From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

Link to Senate Bill 378

SECTION 1.

This act shall be known as the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Best Practices Act of 2021.

SEC. 2.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Californians need improved access to high-speed internet now more than ever to meet a variety of demands including, but not limited to, remote work, distance learning, telehealth, emergency response and public safety, agriculture, innovation, and commerce.

(b) High-speed internet is delivered to Californians through wireline and wireless broadband infrastructure that is installed either aerially or underground. Wireless broadband service relies on wireline facilities, especially fiber backhaul lines.

(d) Quick and cost-effective ways to install fiber include trenching and boring, microtrenching, and aerially using existing utility poles or other vertical infrastructure along the intended fiber route.

(e) By allowing these different methods of fiber installation and expediting fiber permit applications, local agencies will help promote the deployment of fiber for high-speed internet access across California.

SEC. 3.

Section 65964.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:

65964.5.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Fiber” means fiber optic cables, and related ancillary equipment such as conduit, ancillary cables, hand holes, vaults and terminals.
(2) “Local agency” means a city, county, city and county, charter city, special district, or publicly owned utility.
(3) “Microtrench” means a narrow open excavation trench that is less than or equal to 4 inches in width and not less than 12 inches in depth and not more than 26 inches in depth and that is created for the purpose of installing a subsurface pipe or conduit.
(4) “Microtrenching” means excavation of a microtrench.

(b)

(1) The provider of fiber facilities shall determine the method of the installation of fiber.
(2) A local agency shall not prohibit, or unreasonably discriminate in favor of or against the use of, aerial installations, open trenching or boring, or microtrenching.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), a local agency may prohibit aerial deployment of fiber where no aboveground utilities exist due to Public Utilities Commission Electric Tariff Rule 20 or other existing underground requirements.

(1) Where existing aboveground utilities are present, the local agency shall allow fiber to be installed in the same fashion as the existing aboveground utilities. This paragraph shall control over any undergrounding ordinance adopted by the local agency that requires all utilities to bury existing overhead facilities pursuant to the Overhead Conversion Program established by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Electric Tariff Rule 20, except that the provider of fiber facilities shall underground its fiber at the time other utilities remove their aerial facilities pursuant to any undergrounding ordinance of the local agency.
(2)
- (A) The local agency with jurisdiction to approve excavations shall allow microtrenching for the installation of underground fiber if the installation in the microtrench is limited to fiber.
- (B) Upon mutual agreement, a microtrench may be placed shallower than 12 inches in depth in areas that are not beneath a paved roadway.

(d) For purposes of this section, the time periods established by the applicable Federal Communication Commission rules contained in Subpart U (commencing with Section 1.6001) of Part 1 of Subchapter A of Chapter I of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations for a small wireless telecommunications facility using an existing structure shall apply to an application for a fiber installation.

(e) An application for a permit to install fiber shall include payment of a reasonable fee set by the local agency to cover the cost of processing the application.

(f) This section does not preclude an applicant and the local agency from mutually agreeing to an extension of any time limit provided by this section.

(g) The Legislature finds and declares that installation of fiber is critical to the deployment of broadband services and other utility services, is a matter of statewide concern, and is not a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, this section applies to all cities, including charter cities.

SEC. 4.

Section 65964.6 is added to the Government Code, to read:

65964.6. (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Applicant” means a person or entity who submits an application.

(2) “Application” means an application for a permit to install fiber.

(3) “Local Agency” means a city, county, city and county, charter city, special district, or publicly owned utility.

(4) “Personnel costs” includes the costs of hiring or employing temporary or permanent local agency employees, consultants, or contractors.

(b) A local agency may impose on an applicant a reasonable fee for costs associated with the submission of, and the expedited review, processing, and approval of, an application, including, but not limited to, personnel costs as necessary, if the applicant elects for the expedited review and processing and agrees to pay that fee.

SEC. 5.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.