HB606: Telecommunications; Dept. of Historic Resources to convene work group to examine Sect. 106 review.

HOUSE BILL NO. 606

Offered January 10, 2018
Prefiled January 8, 2018
A BILL to direct the Department of Historic Resources to convene a work group to examine the Section 106 review process; telecommunications projects.
Patron-- Gooditis

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (the Department) shall convene a stakeholder work group to examine the process by which the Department reviews, as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (the Act), the effects of certain projects upon historic properties in association with Federal Communications Commission applications. The Department shall assess whether such process could be made more efficient while continuing to provide federally required notices and public input.

§ 2. The Department shall consider best practices from other states implementing the Act and shall focus on the federally required review of applications for communications towers and similar infrastructure intended to facilitate deployment of broadband Internet services in underserved areas.

§ 3. The Department shall invite the participation of stakeholders, including historic and cultural preservationists and archeologists and representatives of local governments, providers of wireless broadband service and infrastructure, and Indian tribes.

§ 4. The Department shall report its findings and any recommendations of the work group to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2018.