2009 Senate Bill 397

Revise new cable and phone line video franchise law

Introduced in the Senate

March 19, 2009

Introduced by Sen. Samuel B. Thomas (D-4)

To raise the cap on "public, education, and government access facility" fees (PEG fees) in the new state video service franchise system that substantially replaced the discretion of local governments in franchising video service providers, including through cable or phone lines. The bill would allow a local government to raise the PEG fee to 2 percent for each cable system as soon as that system's current franchise agreement expired, and to charge a full 2 percent PEG fee immediately for any new cable entrants, even if the franchise agreement for the established cable company set a lower PEG fee.

Referred to the Committee on Energy Policy and Public Utilities