STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ
District 33 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires removal of double utility poles upon notification by electric public utilities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning utility pole removal and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
“Board” means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or a successor agency.
“Double utility pole” means a damaged or outmoded utility pole that remains present or in service with pole attachments after the installation of a replacement utility pole.
“Electric public utility” or “utility” means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that transmits and distributes electricity to end users in the State.
b. (1) Within 10 business days after an electric public utility notifies the owner or owners of pole attachments on a double utility pole of the existence of a double utility pole, the owner or owners of pole attachments on the double utility pole shall remove any such attachments from the double utility pole. The owner or owners of such attachments shall notify the owner or owners of the double utility pole once all pole attachments have been removed.
(2) Within five business days of receiving notice of the removal of pole attachments pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, the owner or owners of a double utility pole shall remove the double utility pole.
c. The board shall adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this section, including rules and regulations concerning the transfer of pole attachments from double utility poles.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the owner or owners of pole attachments on a double utility pole to remove the pole attachments from the double utility pole within 10 business days after an electric public utility notifies the owner or owners of the existence of the double utility pole. The owner or owners of the pole attachments are then to notify the owner or owners of the double utility pole when all pole attachments have been removed. The bill requires the owner or owners of the double utility pole to remove the double utility pole within five business days of receiving notice of the removal of the pole attachments.
Under the bill, “double utility pole” means a damaged or outmoded utility pole that remains present or in service with pole attachments after the installation of a replacement utility pole.