HB 166 Summary

• Removes the prohibition on organizing cooperatives for the purpose of furnishing electric, telephone, or related telecommunications services, allowing these to be established under cooperative law.

• Adds "related telecommunications service" as a defined term encompassing transmission of messages and signals, as well as services using broadband Internet access, data centers, and information technology.

• Expands cooperative naming requirements to include "telecommunications" or "telecom" as appropriate descriptors alongside existing "electric" or "telephone" designations.

• Updates cooperative meeting procedures to permit annual meetings and board meetings to be conducted by teleconference and allows notice to members via email or text message in addition to mail and personal delivery.

• Modifies membership and quorum requirements to recognize members who vote by electronic communication or mail as having attended meetings.