WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

35.99.040 - Local regulations, ordinances--Limitations.

Local regulations, ordinances — Limitations.

(1) A city or town shall not adopt or enforce regulations or ordinances specifically relating to use of the right-of-way by a service provider that:

     (a) Impose requirements that regulate the services or business operations of the service provider, except where otherwise authorized in state or federal law;

     (b) Conflict with federal or state laws, rules, or regulations that specifically apply to the design, construction, and operation of facilities or with federal or state worker safety or public safety laws, rules, or regulations;

     (c) Regulate the services provided based upon the content or kind of signals that are carried or are capable of being carried over the facilities, except where otherwise authorized in state or federal law; or

     (d) Unreasonably deny the use of the right-of-way by a service provider for installing, maintaining, repairing, or removing facilities for telecommunications services or cable television services.

     (2) Nothing in this chapter, including but not limited to the provisions of subsection (1)(d) of this section, limits the authority of a city or town to regulate the placement of facilities through its local zoning or police power, if the regulations do not otherwise:

     (a) Prohibit the placement of all wireless or of all wireline facilities within the city or town;

     (b) Prohibit the placement of all wireless or of all wireline facilities within city or town rights-of-way, unless the city or town is less than five square miles in size and has no commercial areas, in which case the city or town may make available land other than city or town rights-of-way for the placement of wireless facilities; or

     (c) Violate section 253 of the telecommunications act of 1996, P.L. 104-104 (110 Stat. 56).

     (3) This section does not amend, limit, repeal, or otherwise modify the authority of cities or towns to regulate cable television services pursuant to federal law.

[2000 c 83 § 4.]