HB 2229 - Video Service Provider Licensing

• Establishes statewide uniform video service licensing framework for cities, towns, and counties, replacing local franchise agreements with standardized forms effective December 31, 2019.

• Creates nonexclusive uniform video service licenses that allow video service providers to operate across entire county or city/town boundaries without local discretionary conditions related to infrastructure, build-out requirements, or non-authorized fees.

• Limits total license fees and transaction privilege taxes on video service providers to maximum 5% of gross revenue, with specific exemptions for highway management fees, pole attachment costs, and public access channel support.

• Requires incumbent cable operators to elect by July 1, 2020 whether to continue operating under existing local licenses as "holdover" operators or obtain new uniform video service licenses.

• Establishes Office of Administrative Hearings as enforcement mechanism for disputes between video service providers and local governments regarding license compliance, with uniform rules applied statewide.