Small Cell Bill Passes Out of First Committee

Senate Bill 649, authored by Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), unanimously passed out of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee Tuesday.  This bill, similar to last year’s Assembly Bill 2788 by former Assembly Member Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), would eliminate local consideration of the aesthetic and environmental impacts of “small cell” structures and require that those structures be allowed on public property in any zone in a city or county. 

Additionally, this bill would limit the rent a local government could charge a wireless company to place a small cell structure on public property.  RCRC, and a coalition of local government partners, have been in discussions with Legislators and legislative staff to share the extensive impacts of this bill on local governments.

SB 649 will be next be heard in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee by the end of April. The text of the bill can be accessed here.