Pennsylvania SB 491: An Act amending Titles 53 (Municipalities Generally) and 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in municipal authorities, further providing for money of authority and for competition in award of contracts; and, in ethics standards and financial disclosure, further providing for investigations by commission.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 446
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 491
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, BARTOLOTTA, ROTHMAN, PENNYCUICK,
J. WARD, BAKER, STEFANO AND MASTRIANO, MARCH 21, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY, MARCH 21, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in alternative form of regulation of
telecommunications services, further providing for network
modernization plans and for additional powers and duties of
commission.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 3014(b) of Title 66 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding paragraphs to read:
§ 3014. Network modernization plans.
* * *
(b) Options for amendment of network modernization plan.--
Local exchange telecommunications companies shall have the
following options:
* * *
(9) Effective January 1, 2026, the network modernization
plans of all local exchange telecommunications companies
shall be deemed amended to provide that the local exchange
telecommunications company is not required to make broadband
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available under this chapter to any customer or location to
which broadband is available from any other provider
utilizing any technology.
(10) Effective January 1, 2027, the network
modernization plans of all local exchange telecommunications
companies shall be deemed amended to provide that the local
exchange telecommunications company is not required to make
broadband available under this chapter to any customer or
location.
(11) Effective January 1, 2027, notwithstanding any
other provisions of this title or any other law, the network
modernization plans of all local exchange telecommunications
companies shall be deemed amended to provide as follows:
(i) telecommunications services offered by the local
exchange telecommunications company may be supplied using
any technology, provided that the use of an alternative
technology shall not be construed to grant any additional
jurisdiction or authority to the commission over the
service or technology; and
(ii) the local exchange telecommunications company
shall not have the duty to extend, expand or continue in
place its facilities to furnish telecommunications
services when the customer has service available from one
or more alternative providers of wireline or wireless
communications services.
* * *
Section 2. Section 3019(c) of Title 66 is amended and the
section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 3019. Additional powers and duties.
* * *
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(c) [(Reserved).] Streamlined regulations for
telecommunications carriers.--
(1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title
and subject to paragraph (2), the commission, within 30 days
after the effective date of this paragraph , by order
published on the commission's publicly accessible Internet
website and served upon all certificated telecommunications
carriers, shall permanently waive its regulations at 52 Pa.
Code Ch. 53 (relating to tariffs for noncommon carriers), §§
53.57 (relating to definitions), 53.58 (relating to offering
of competitive services), 53.59 (relating to cost support
requirements and effective filing dates for tariff filings of
noncompetitive services), 53.60 (relating to promotional
offerings and bundled service packages ) and 53.85 (relating
to paper billing fees), as well as all provisions of 52 Pa.
Code Chs. 63 (relating to telecommunications service) and 64
(relating to standards and billing practices for residential
telecommunications service).
(2) The waiver of regulations under paragraph (1) shall
not apply to the following provisions of 52 Pa. Code:
(i) Section 63.37 (relating to operation of the
Telecommunications Relay Service System and Relay Service
Fund).
(ii) Ch. 63 Subch. L (relating to universal
service).
(iii) Section 64.23 (relating to standardizing LEC
responses to customer contacts alleging unauthorized
charges added to the customer's bill (cramming) and
unauthorized changes to the customer's long distance
carrier (slamming)).
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(3) The regulations specified in paragraph (2) and any
other commission regulations shall remain in effect subject
to the commission's authority to alter, amend, waive or
rescind the regulations according to applicable law.
(4) The commission shall promptly rescind the
regulations waived under paragraph (1).
(5) With the exception of the regulations specified in
paragraph (2), every three years after the effective date of
this paragraph, the commission shall undertake a review of
all regulations , orders, requirements and policy statements
applicable to telecommunications carriers and shall rescind
regulations , orders, requirements and policy statements that