HB 1239 (Tomkow) and SB 1592 (Burgess) exempt from sales and use tax certain equipment purchased, leased or sold by providers of communications services or internet access services. 

The bills require municipal electric utilities to provide broadband providers access to and use of municipal electric utility poles. The municipal electric utility must adopt rates, terms and conditions for such access that are consistent with the provisions of 47 U.S. Code s. 224 and any Federal Communications Commission regulations and decisions. The rates, terms and conditions must be nondiscriminatory, just and reasonable and may not favor a pole owner or an affiliate of the pole owner. The municipal electric utility must maintain and make available to a broadband provider all records, including specified information, necessary to calculate the rate it charges to the provider. The bill requires the municipal electric utility to rearrange, expand, replace or otherwise reengineer any utility pole upon the request of a broadband provider, and the utility may require a reimbursement only of actual cost. The municipal electric utility must complete pole replacements and any work needed to accommodate the broadband provider’s attachment within 90 days after receiving a complete attachment request. A municipal electric utility or broadband provider may submit a written request to negotiate any agreement or amendment to an existing agreement addressing attachments by the broadband provider to conform any agreements. (Hughes)