Department of Transportation: encroachment permits: broadband facilities.

Assembly Member Hoover's proposal to standardize California's broadband infrastructure permitting process would establish uniform review procedures for encroachment permits across all state highway locations. The legislation requires the Department of Transportation to implement consistent application criteria and expedited processing timelines for broadband facility permits statewide.

The measure creates specific procedural requirements for permit applications, including a 30-day window for the department to determine application completeness and a 60-day deadline for final decisions. When applications are deemed incomplete, the department must provide detailed written explanations referencing unmet criteria, identify required supplemental information, and allow applicants 30 days to submit additional materials. The bill limits consultation between applicants and department staff to three meetings totaling no more than four hours per permit application.

The legislation also addresses complete streets infrastructure, directing the department to develop standardized intake and review processes for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facility permits by January 2027. Each district office must designate an encroachment permit manager with multimodal expertise to oversee these applications. The department must submit annual reports detailing the number of applications processed, permits issued, and processing timeframes, with this information posted publicly online. Applicants retain the ability to appeal permit denials to the department director, who must issue final determinations within 60 days.