2020 Georgia Code
Title 36 - Local Government
Chapter 76 - Expedited Franchising of Cable and Video Services
§ 36-76-10. Limitations on Requirements That May Be Imposed Upon Holders of a State Franchise
No franchising authority, state agency, or political subdivision of the state shall impose any build-out requirement on system construction or service deployment on a holder of a state franchise. This chapter shall occupy the entire field of franchising or otherwise regulating cable service and video service. An affected local governing authority's power to regulate the holder of a state franchise shall be limited to:
- A requirement that the holder of a state franchise who is providing cable service or video service within the municipality or unincorporated area of the county shall notify each affected local governing authority at least ten days before providing service in such municipality or county. A municipal or county governing authority may require the holder of a state franchise to update the description of the service area provided in the application for a state franchise annually and may also require the holder of a state franchise to maintain a point of contact that shall be available during normal business hours;
- The establishment of reasonable guidelines regarding the use of PEG access channels;
- The lawful and reasonable exercise of the police powers of the municipal or county governing authority to the extent reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public;
- The enactment and enforcement of lawful and reasonable laws and rules and municipal or county ordinances and regulations concerning excavation, permitting, bonding requirements, indemnification requirements, and placement and maintenance of facilities in any public right of way that are generally applicable to all users of any public right of way, except to the extent specifically precluded by subsection (h) of Code Section 36-76-6; and
- The lawful and reasonable exercise of the rights established in this chapter.
(Code 1981, §36-76-10, enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 719, § 1/HB 227.)
Law reviews.- For article, "Revenue and Taxation: Amend Titles 48, 2, 28, 33, 36, 46, and 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Relating Respectively to Revenue and Taxation, Agriculture, the General Assembly, Insurance, Local Government, Public Utilities, and State Government," see 28 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 217 (2011).
