TO AMEND THE TRANSMITTING UTILITY ACT; AND TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "TRANSMITTING UTILITY" TO INCLUDE FIBER OPTIC AND BROADBAND LINES.

HB 1737 updates Arkansas' Transmitting Utility Act by adding fiber optic and broadband internet services to the legal definition of "transmitting utility." This change directly affects broadband providers, bringing them under the same regulatory framework as traditional utilities like electricity, gas, and telephone services. The bill modifies the existing definition to explicitly include "the provision of fiber optic communication service, broadband internet service, or similar high-speed data transmission services" as a qualifying activity. This is a procedural adjustment to clarify which entities fall under the state's utility regulations, without creating new obligations or funding mechanisms.