Several telecom bills made cut at Va. legislature’s ‘move or die’...

to eliminate mandatory hearings on local exchange certification applications, HB-1767 to require that new telecom and energy facilities be installed within existing utility rights-of-way whenever feasible, HB-1914 to limit grounds on which utility pole owners could refuse to allow telecom or cable facility attachments, HB-2640 exempting telephone cooperatives from filing local exchange tariffs and allowing them to take ownership interest in other telecom companies, and HB-2427 restricting telemarketing hours and requiring telemarketers to identify themselves in person and via caller ID. Senate bills passing on to House included SB-1349 exempting wireless customers from local E911 taxes and changing assessment basis for state’s 75-cent monthly wireless E911 surcharge to per-customer basis from per-number, and Senate resolution (SJR-336) forming legislative subcommittee to study highway safety threat posed by car phone use and to recommend legislation for next year. Among telecom bill casualties were 4 in House (HB-1629, 1884, 2381 and 2809) to restrict or ban use of car phones while driving. Other defeated bills included SB-1323 to give local governments explicit zoning authority over wireless telecom towers, HB-1490 capping local 911 taxes, SB-1425/HB-1971 to require landlords be compensated when competitive telecom providers access individual tenants, HB-2196 to require state Corrections Dept. to apply all provider rebates from inmate payphone services to reducing phone charges to inmates, and SB- 1328 to make electronic eavesdropping automatic felony.