H 527

No. 129  Page 1 of 3
2026
No. 129. An act relating to extending the sunset of 30 V.S.A. § 248a.
                                     (H.527)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. 30 V.S.A. § 248a is amended to read:
§ 248a. CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC GOOD FOR COMMUNICATIONS
          FACILITIES
                                       ***
   (e) Notice. No less than 60 days prior to filing an application for a
certificate of public good under this section, the applicant shall serve written
notice of an application to be filed with the Commission pursuant to this
section to the legislative bodies and municipal and regional planning
commissions in the communities in which the applicant proposes to construct
or install facilities; the Secretary of Natural Resources; the Secretary of
Transportation; the Division for Historic Preservation; the Commissioner of
Public Service and its Director for Public Advocacy; the Land Use Review
Board if the application concerns a telecommunications facility for which a
permit previously has been issued under 10 V.S.A. chapter 151; and the
landowners of record of property adjoining the project sites. In addition, at
least one copy of each application shall be filed with each of these municipal
and regional planning commissions. The notices to the legislative body and
planning commission of the municipality shall attach a statement that itemizes
the rights and opportunities available to those bodies under subdivisions (c)(2)
                                                                    VT LEG #390201 v.1
No. 129  Page 2 of 3
2026
and (e)(2) of this section and under subsections (m), (n), and (o) of this section
and informs them of the guide published under subsection (p) of this section
and how to obtain a copy of that guide.
                                       ***
      (2) On the request of For any application other than a de minimis
modification, as defined in subdivision (b)(2) of this section or a facility of
limited size and scope, as defined in subdivision (b)(4) of this section, the
municipal legislative body or the planning commission, shall hold and the
applicant shall attend a duly warned public meeting with the municipal
legislative body or planning commission, or both, within the 60-day notice
period before filing an application for a certificate of public good. The
Department of Public Service shall attend the public meeting on the request of
the municipality. The Department shall consider the comments made and
information obtained at the meeting in making recommendations to the
Commission on the application and in determining whether to retain additional
personnel under subsection (o) of this section.
                                       ***
   (i) Sunset of Commission authority. Effective on July 1, 2026 2029, no
new applications for certificates of public good under this section may be
considered by the Commission.
                                       ***
                                                                    VT LEG #390201 v.1
No. 129  Page 3 of 3
2026
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
  This act shall take effect on passage.
Date Governor signed bill: June 15, 2026
                                           VT LEG #390201 v.1