Amends existing law to revise provisions about the dig once policy and rights-of-way for broadband.
House Bill 300 revises Idaho’s broadband “Dig Once Policy” statutes to further encourage coordinated broadband deployment along highway rights-of-way. The bill updates legislative findings to emphasize broadband as a public interest and a driver of economic and social development, and it directs the Idaho Transportation Department and single county-wide highway districts to adopt nondiscriminatory, competitively neutral rules that support cost-efficient installation of broadband infrastructure during roadway and underground utility projects.
The bill expands and clarifies definitions used in the broadband-rights-of-way statutes, including “broadband,” “broadband infrastructure,” “broadband provider,” and “longitudinal access.” It also creates a process for maintaining a registry of interested broadband providers, identifying eligible projects, notifying providers of coordination opportunities, and allowing providers at least 30 days to submit statements of interest. The department or district retains final authority to decide whether broadband installation is suitable for a project and may impose conditions related to liability, relocation costs, and indemnification, or deny access if the installation would interfere with safety, construction, maintenance, or other utility work.
HB 300 amends Idaho Code sections 40-516 through 40-520 governing broadband deployment in highway rights-of-way. It requires the Idaho Transportation Department and applicable highway districts to develop rules and procedures for project notification, provider coordination, permitting, cost allocation, and appeals, while also allowing the department to install conduit for its own use or to support broadband expansion. The bill also standardizes fees and cost-sharing, requires broadband providers to pay actual installation costs and proportional shares when multiple providers participate, and preserves agency control over rights-of-way and highway safety. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, under an emergency clause.
The available record suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, or at least no recorded opposition in the provided materials. The bill’s text frames broadband expansion as broadly beneficial to Idaho’s economy and public interest, and the legislation is designed to streamline coordination between transportation agencies and broadband providers. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented debate or recorded vote sentiment in the supplied context.
The main points of potential contention are the scope of access to highway rights-of-way, the extent of agency discretion, and who bears the costs and risks of installation. Broadband providers may favor the bill’s coordination and access provisions, while the Idaho Transportation Department and highway districts retain authority to deny projects that affect safety or operations and to impose liability, relocation, and indemnification terms. Another possible issue is cost allocation, including requirements that providers pay actual costs and share common expenses, as well as the department’s ability to require conduit for its own use and the rules limiting speculative use of rights-of-way.