BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1121

By: Nichols

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill sponsor has informed the committee that while buried fiber-optic cable broadband projects are often installed in areas where land has already been disturbed by road construction and have little, if any, chance to damage archeological sites, broadband providers have been required to conduct archeological studies in these areas which can delay the project for months at a time and cost thousands of dollars. The bill sponsor has further informed the committee that valuable time and funds would be better spent deploying broadband to communities more quickly and efficiently. S.B. 1121 seeks to resolve this issue and remove unnecessary red tape hindering the deployment of broadband by adding buried fiber-optic cable broadband projects located in the right-of-way of a road to an existing list of infrastructure projects exempt from the requirement to notify the Texas Historical Commission before breaking ground so that the commission can make certain determinations, including the need for an archeological survey.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1121 amends the Natural Resources Code to include the installation, maintenance, operation, replacement, or minor modification of buried fiber-optic cables located in the right‑of‑way of an existing road among the activities that are categorical exclusions at a minimum to the requirement for the person primarily responsible for a project on state or local public land, or the person's agent, before breaking ground at the project location, to notify the Texas Historical Commission for purposes of protecting historically significant archeological sites.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.