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[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: Live.
[Rep. Kathleen James (Chair)]: All right. Welcome back, everybody. House Energy and Digital Infrastructure. Here today to discuss and vote on H527. And we just had a little tech glitch, but we are voting on draft 5.1, which is dated February 6 at 08:44 a. M. And it is posted on our website and is unchanged from draft 4.1. So everybody have it? I can
[Rep. Laura Sibilia (Ranking Member)]: see what happened if I haven't checked. There were two four point one. Oh,
[Rep. Kathleen James (Chair)]: okay. Alright. So we have draft 5.1. So, folks know, this has been a tough bill. We have taken a significant amount of testimony. And we have heard from a lot of folks and communities all over the state who have testified to their experiences with the Act two forty eight A process and their frustrations with how it works for people. And our goal has been to try to find a balanced path forward that acknowledges that there's a public good and a public benefit in putting up cell towers. People want to be connected at their homes and in their communities and in rural parts of the state and all over the state. Folks want to see cell towers go up. But citizens and municipalities want to make sure that they have a meaningful say in where they go and how they're cited. And I think that we've focused a lot of our listening on hearing from those folks and trying to respond. So, the bill that we wound up developing with input from a lot of people will recommend or request or require actually the PUC to hold two public workshops on this issue and make sure that not just the telecom companies are there at these workshops, but also that most importantly I think that the Vermont League of Cities and Towns is represented at the workshops. The Regional Planning Commissions are there. Vermonters for a Clean Environment is there. The Department of Public Service, the Department of Public Safety, the Agency of Natural Resources, and any other relevant stakeholders. So, at these public workshops, we developed a very specific list of things that we want to make sure that the PUC and all of these folks who participate in the workshops really dive into and try to make progress on. And so that is everything from the advanced notice process to the procedures for contested cases. And we have a long list of things that we're directing the PUC to take a serious look at on pages two and three. And to come back to the legislature with recommendations and an overview of the process and a description of changes that they might have just gone ahead and made to the two forty eight A. So, because we gave them a very significant homework list, we have decided that giving them only six months to get that done whenever this bill passes is not enough time. So, we've proposed extending their deadline to December 2027 and rolling out the sunset one additional year to match. So to 2030. So that's sort of the core of what we're trying to accomplish here. I think the important thing to understand, and then I'll turn it over to our bill reporter. I think the most important thing to understand is that just the journey of this bill is far from over. We've been working on it for five weeks. I think it's really important that we get it to the Senate. The Senate's gonna have a very, I I don't doubt, a very different approach. And the same testimony and the same stakeholders and the same conversation will be happening on the other side of the hall and we'll see what they come up with. And it could be they could like our work. They could take it in a different direction or they could take it in a very different direction. So, one of my goals is to get this bill moving along so that conversation can continue. And so that there's plenty of time at the end of the session to try to reconcile whatever the Senate does with where we landed. So, Rep. Sibilia is going to be reporting the bill. Anything to add?
[Rep. Laura Sibilia (Ranking Member)]: You covered the two extensions, both to the sunset and how much time the PUC should have for their work. And then, in addition, we removed b two, which has the federal language. Other than that
[Rep. Kathleen James (Chair)]: So, yeah, like I said, this has been a tough one. I think everybody's been really engaged, Really grateful to all folks who came and spoke with us, especially folks who never testified before and all people who submitted public comment. And we worked hard to try to strike a balance between, you know, the many Vermonters who want self coverage in their homes and in their communities and the many Vermonters who think that 248A isn't working as it should. So, I guess, I don't know if folks want to have comments they want to make or they want to have a bit of discussion. Or if not, I'm happy to entertain a motion to pass our bill as amended.
[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: I move the report to
[Rep. Laura Sibilia (Ranking Member)]: bill as amended 5.1 as amended in favor of. You.
[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: Okay.
[Rep. Michael "Mike" Southworth (Member)]: I'll send it just.
[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: I don't think we need to. Alrighty. Over to the clerk. Bennington. So, representative Bailey?
[Rep. Michael "Mike" Southworth (Member)]: No.
[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: Representative Campbell? Yes. Representative Howland? No. No. Slept her. I was representative Morrow? Yes. Representative Sibilia? Yes.
[Rep. Laura Sibilia (Ranking Member)]: Representative Southworth?
[Rep. Michael "Mike" Southworth (Member)]: No. And I request to explain my vote.
[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: I don't care to do that here, but I request it. Heard.
[Rep. Michael "Mike" Southworth (Member)]: Thank you.
[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: Representative Torre, Representative James. Yes. Our vote was five-three-one, and the reporter is for speaker. Thanks.
[Rep. Kathleen James (Chair)]: All right. I'll let the clerk's office know that we voted the subcommittee, and perhaps Southworth.
[Rep. Michael "Mike" Southworth (Member)]: Thank you. I believe there are issues with the siting process. I'm very concerned that for monitors who this directly infection are able to be heard. I'm not convinced that the current process will be enhanced by our recommendations in the bill. Revisiting the current statute to me is the correct answer, And that is why I voted no.
[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: Thank you.
[Rep. Kathleen James (Chair)]: Anybody else?
[Rep. Dara Torre (Clerk)]: Okay. Thanks
[Rep. Kathleen James (Chair)]: so much, everybody. And this bill has a long way to go. I think we can go off live and we are back at 03:30 to talk about data centers.