1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to utilities; extending deadline for public 
  1.3             utilities commission to adopt rules relating to public 
  1.4             rights-of-way; amending Minnesota Statutes 1997 
  1.5             Supplement, section 237.163, subdivision 8.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  1.8   237.163, subdivision 8, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 8.  [UNIFORM STATEWIDE STANDARDS.] (a) To ensure the 
  1.10  safe and convenient use of public rights-of-way in the state, 
  1.11  the public utilities commission shall develop and adopt by March 
  1.12  1, 1998 June 1, 1999, statewide construction standards for the 
  1.13  purposes of achieving substantial statewide uniformity in 
  1.14  construction standards where appropriate, providing competitive 
  1.15  neutrality among telecommunications right-of-way users, and 
  1.16  permitting efficient use of technology.  The standards shall 
  1.17  govern: 
  1.18     (1) the terms and conditions of right-of-way construction, 
  1.19  excavation, maintenance, and repair; and 
  1.20     (2) the terms and conditions under which telecommunications 
  1.21  facilities and equipment are placed in the public right-of-way. 
  1.22     (b) The public utilities commission is authorized to 
  1.23  review, upon complaint by an aggrieved telecommunications 
  1.24  right-of-way user, a decision or regulation by a local 
  1.25  government unit that is alleged to violate a statewide standard. 
  2.1      (c) A local unit of government may not adopt an ordinance 
  2.2   or other regulation that conflicts with a standard adopted by 
  2.3   the commission for the purposes described in paragraph (a). 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.5      Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.