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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio Bill Regulates Broadband Infrastructure in Public Rights-of-Way and Sets Removal Rules for Abandoned Utility Poles
Last action · July 22, 2026: IntroducedSponsor: Roy Klopfenstein
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio House Bill 979 requires broadband internet access providers to comply with local authority permitting, construction, and restoration standards when installing infrastructure in public rights-of-way. The measure mandates the removal of replaced utility poles within 90 days, establishes notification requirements for s, and permits local authorities to assess civil penalties and recover removal costs for abandoned equipment.
Local governments gain express statutory authority to regulate broadband construction timelines, enforce road restoration standards, remove abandoned utility poles, and recover inspection or removal costs from providers, impacting utility operations and municipal right-of-way management across Ohio.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Broadband internet access providers
Broadband providers must comply with local permitting, construction, design, and restoration standards, and are subject to permit suspensions, civil remedies, and cost recovery for noncompliance.
Utility appurtenance owners
Utility owners must adhere to a 90-day timeline for removing replaced utility poles, submit annual notices of future use for equipment, and face removal costs or tax assessments for abandoned structures.
Local authorities (municipalities, townships, counties)
Local authorities gain explicit statutory authority to establish permitting procedures, set reasonable fees, declare equipment abandoned, remove uncompliant infrastructure, and recover costs or levy civil penalties.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can local governments use these permits to regulate the prices charged for broadband internet?
What happens if a utility company leaves an old utility pole standing next to a newly installed pole?
How long do utility owners have to submit an initial notice of future use for their utility appurtenances?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Bias ratings based on AllSides / Media Bias/Fact Check
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Procedural history
1 action- Jul 22, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Codified Right-of-Way Standards for Broadband
The bill creates a unified statutory framework across multiple sections of the Revised Code specifically tying broadband infrastructure to existing local right-of-way and county road protection statutes.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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