SB1027

THE CONTEXT: The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) maintains jurisdiction over most local telephone service, including quality of service. The scope of services the telecommunications industry provides includes local and long-distance telephone service, cellular service, paging services and internet services.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would prohibit critical telecommunications infrastructure that is located within or serving Arizona from being constructed with any equipment that is manufactured by a federally banned corporation or banned by the federal government, instruct that any critical telecommunications infrastructure in operation, or not fully disabled, must have all prohibited equipment removed and replaced with equipment that is not prohibited, and exempt telecommunication providers from obtaining a new permit from any state agency or political subdivision to remove, discontinue or replace the telecommunication equipment, if the state agency or political subdivision is properly notified. Telecommunication Requirements.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to set a clear legal boundary for critical telecommunications infrastructure instead of leaving the conduct unaddressed. It would prohibit critical telecommunications infrastructure that is located within or serving Arizona from being constructed with any equipment that is manufactured by a federally banned corporation or banned by the federal government, and would also instruct that any critical telecommunications infrastructure in operation, or not fully disabled, must have all prohibited equipment removed and replaced with equipment that is not prohibited, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.