Sec. 9. (a) An electricity supplier that makes communications service available to a property owner through communications infrastructure that is installed or will be installed within an electric easement shall include in any:

(1) member agreement;

(2) customer agreement; or

(3) other similar agreement;

related to the communications service a provision notifying a property owner that takes or will take communications service from the electricity supplier, or from any affiliated entity, that by signing the agreement for communications service, the property owner expressly consents to the expansion of the electric easement that the electricity supplier has with the property owner to include communications infrastructure.

(b) Subject to subsection (c), the agreement that includes the notice described in subsection (a) must:

(1) be signed by the property owner or the property owner's designated agent; and

(2) include a statement that anyone other than the property owner or the property owner's designated agent may be:

(A) subject to penalties for perjury; and

(B) liable for any just compensation provided for by law;

for signing the agreement without the consent of the property owner or the property owner's designated agent.

(c) In the case of tenant occupied property, the owner of the property that is leased or rented, or the owner's designated agent, may sign a master agreement that:

(1) includes the statement described in subsection (b)(2); and

(2) gives consent to the electricity supplier to expand an electric easement on the property owner's property to include communications infrastructure for all units on the property owner's property.

A tenant may not sign a master agreement under this subsection on behalf of the property owner. However, a tenant may provide to the electricity supplier a notarized affidavit that is signed by the property owner or the property owner's designated agent and that gives consent to the expansion of an electric easement to include communications infrastructure on the property owner's property. This subsection may not be interpreted as imposing on the property owner any duty, liability, or other obligation that may exist between the electricity supplier and the tenant customer with respect to the provision of communications service.

(d) Upon signing:

(1) an agreement under subsection (a) to take communications service from the electricity supplier, or from any affiliated entity; or

(2) a master agreement or a notarized affidavit under subsection (c) that gives consent to the expansion of an electric easement to include communications infrastructure for all units or for a particular unit on the property owner's property, as applicable;

the property owner is not entitled to any additional compensation for the expansion of the electric easement to include communications infrastructure, other than the value of being provided access to any communications service that the electricity supplier may offer and to which the property owner may elect to subscribe.

(e) This section may not be interpreted as affecting the terms of any member agreement an electricity supplier has with the electricity supplier's members with respect to the provision of:

(1) electric service; or

(2) communications service;

within an easement that by its terms expressly provides for the installation of communications infrastructure, as described in section 1(c)(2) of this chapter.

As added by P.L.236-2017, SEC.1.