The bill amends Title 66 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding a new section focused on the management and regulation of double utility poles. It recognizes the temporary necessity of double utility poles but expresses a clear disfavor for their long-term presence on public rights-of-way due to safety concerns, aesthetic issues, and costs to ratepayers. The bill grants the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) jurisdiction over the migration of infrastructure from damaged or outdated poles to newly installed ones and mandates the PUC to initiate rulemaking to establish procedures for the relocation and removal of utility poles and attachments.

The proposed regulations will include requirements for infrastructure owners to register with the PUC, provide contact information, and adhere to timelines for migrating their facilities. The bill also outlines procedures for compensation and indemnification for utility pole owners, penalties for non-compliance, and emphasizes the need for the expeditious removal of double utility poles once all attached infrastructure has been removed. Additionally, it specifies that costs incurred by utilities under this section cannot be passed on to ratepayers. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.