S-995/A-1100 advanced through committee in December, with certain amendments made along the way. The legislation would require abandoned lines, including copper telephone lines, and any associated equipment attached to a pole, building, or other structure, to be removed or corrected after being discovered by the utility or service provider or after being notified by a municipality, utility, or individual.
Entities that fail to timely remove abandoned lines are subject to penalties not to exceed $500 per day for each infraction.
The League supports this bill as the right-of-way is a limited public asset that must be carefully managed and preserved. Abandoned lines not only take up useful space within the ROW but they are unsightly and dangerous, negatively impacting residents’ lives.
The full Senate is scheduled to vote on the measure at the January 8 voting session. While the Assembly passed a version of A-1100 in February of 2023, the Senate made substantial amendments that will require the Assembly to vote on the measure once again. If approved by both houses, the legislation will go to Governor Murphy for his consideration.
Contact: Frank Marshall, Esq., Associate General Counsel, fmarshall@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.