An Act to establish municipal access to utility poles located in municipal rights-of-way

This bill (HD 299) requires municipalities to cover their own costs for "make-ready work" (rearranging or replacing utility poles to accommodate new attachments) when attaching facilities to shared-use poles for two specific purposes: (1) governmental projects related to public health/safety, or (2) expanding broadband service to areas designated as "unserved or underserved" by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. It directly affects municipalities seeking to install broadband infrastructure or public safety equipment on utility poles within municipal rights-of-way. The law clarifies that utility pole owners and existing attachers are not responsible for these costs, shifting the financial burden to the municipality for qualifying projects. Key provisions define "unserved areas" based on broadband access metrics and specify that "make-ready work" includes pole modifications necessary to add new attachments.