SB5690 • 2026

Utility relocation

Concerning utility relocation.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Senator MacEwen, Senator Chapman, Senator Lovelett, Senator Muzzall
Last action: 2025-03-04
Official status: S subst for
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Utility relocation

What This Bill Does

Utility relocation

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

5690-S AMH TR H2145.1

0 • Transportation

NOT CONSIDERED

Plain English: 5690-S AMH TR H2145.1 SSB 5690 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Transportation NOT CONSIDERED 04/27/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.

5690-S AMH TR H2145.1 SSB 5690 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Transportation NOT CONSIDERED 04/27/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.
1.
RCW 47.44.160 and 2021 c 258 s 5 are each amended to 3 read as follows: 4 (1) The department is directed to adopt and maintain an agency 5 policy that requires the department to proactively provide broadband 6 facility and utility owners with information about planned state 7 highway projects to enable collaboration between broadband facility 8 and utility owners and the department to identify opportunities for 9 the installation of broadband facilities and utilities during the 10 appropriate phase of these projects when such opportunities exist.11 (2) If no owners are ready or able to participate in coordination 12 of the installation of broadband infrastructure concurrently with 13 state highway projects, the department may enlist its contractors to 14 install broadband conduit as part of road construction projects in 15 order to directly benefit the transportation system and motor vehicle 16 users by: 17 (a) Reducing future traffic impacts to the traveling public on 18 the roadway; 19 (b) Supporting the vehicle miles traveled reduction and 20 congestion management goals of the state by allowing for more 21 telework; or 22 (c) Proactively preparing the transportation system for the 23 widespread development and use of autonomous vehicles.24 (3) Broadband facility owners must first obtain a franchise 25 granted by the department pursuant to RCW 47.44.010 and 47.44.020 26 before installing broadband facilities within the department's 27 conduit.
The costs for installation and maintenance of such broadband 28 facilities shall be the responsibility of the broadband facility 29 owner.

Bill History

2025-03-04 Senate
1st substitute bill substituted.

Official Summary Text

Utility relocation

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

AN ACT Relating to actions of the department of transportation to 1
notify utility providers of fish barrier removal projects and seek 2
federal funding for utility relocation costs; and amending RCW 3
47.44.160. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 47.44.160 and 2021 c 258 s 5 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
(1) The department is directed to adopt and maintain an agency 8
policy that requires the department to proactively provide broadband 9
facility owners with information about planned state highway projects 10
to enable collaboration between broadband facility owners and the 11
department to identify opportunities for the installation of 12
broadband facilities during the appropriate phase of these projects 13
when such opportunities exist. 14
(2) If no owners are ready or able to participate in coordination 15
of the installation of broadband infrastructure concurrently with 16
state highway projects, the department may enlist its contractors to 17
install broadband conduit as part of road construction projects in 18
order to directly benefit the transportation system and motor vehicle 19
users by: 20
S-0878.1
SENATE BILL 5690
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators MacEwen, Chapman, Lovelett, and Muzzall
Read first time 02/06/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
p. 1 SB 5690
(a) Reducing future traffic impacts to the traveling public on 1
the roadway; 2
(b) Supporting the vehicle miles traveled reduction and 3
congestion management goals of the state by allowing for more 4
telework; or 5
(c) Proactively preparing the transportation system for the 6
widespread development and use of autonomous vehicles.7
(3) Broadband facility owners must first obtain a franchise 8
granted by the department pursuant to RCW 47.44.010 and 47.44.020 9
before installing broadband facilities within the department's 10
conduit. The costs for installation and maintenance of such broadband 11
facilities shall be the responsibility of the broadband facility 12
owner. The department may adopt rules establishing a fee schedule for 13
occupancy of broadband facilities within the department's conduit 14
consistent with federal law. 15
(4) The department is directed to adopt and maintain agency 16
procedures for the department to proactively provide utility 17
providers with information about planned state fish barrier removal 18
projects with at least one year of advance notice whenever feasible. 19
The department is further directed to request any available federal 20
funding for fish barrier removal projects and to include utility 21
relocation costs within the request for federal funds.22
(5) As used in this section: 23
(a) "Broadband conduit" means a conduit used to support broadband 24
infrastructure, including fiber optic cables. 25
(b) "Broadband infrastructure" has the same meaning as in RCW 26
43.330.530. 27
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p. 2 SB 5690