Policy & Legal Committee
Participation is open to all interested government members and their advisors involved in regulatory/policy matters. Membership is subject to review and approval by the committee chair(s).
Mission: To recommend a position on legislative, regulatory and policy matters of potential interest to the Association.
Objectives:
Identify key bills, legislative and policy issues and strategy for the NATOA membership
Develop a structured process which will provide an effective mechanism for Analyzing key bills, legislative and policy issues; and Recommending actions which LFAs should adopt
Draft model response letters/Op Ed pieces, Resolutions, and talking points for LFAs to utilize to implement NATOA’s advocacy strategy.
Hold monthly meetings to secure Committee input, provide issues updates, and address member education on policy and legal matters
Draft model response letters/documents for LFAs to utilize to implement actions
Assist in the planning of educational sessions relating to the Policy and Legal agenda.
Policy Committee and Subcommittees



2020 Accomplishments:
In 2020, NATOA submitted at least 16 filings with the Federal Communications Commission in over 10 different dockets, including:
- Comments and Reply Comments re: WT Docket No. 19-250
- Joint Letter, joined by NLC, USCM, NACo and NATaT, re: WT Docket No. 19-250
- Letters opposing further preemption of local authority re: WT Docket No. 19-71)
- Joint Reply Comments re: RF emissions questions and concerns often raised by residents (ET Docket No. 19-226)
- Comments opposing the FCC’s proposal re: elimination of advance notice prior to any service changes (MB Docket No. 17-105)
- Reply Comments urging rules for subscriber bills clarity (CC Docket No. 98-170; WC Docket No. 04-36)
- Comments opposing industry request for the FCC to resolve a ROW dispute in several MO communities (WC Docket No. 20-46)
- Joint Letter to the FCC re: additional assistance for the COVID-19 crisis (WC 13-184; WC 18-213)
NATOA also participated is multiple legal challenges to FCC orders, including:
- Intervened in litigation challenging the FCC’s 621 Order (City of Eugene, et al. v. FCC)
- Intervened in litigation challenging the FCC’s declaratory ruling on wireless facility modifications (League of California Cities, et al v. FCC)
- Worked with municipal Petitioners and Intervenors on next steps in challenge to FCC’s 2018 small cell Orders after 9th Circuit’s decision in Portland v. FCC
In addition, NATOA:
- Met with the incoming Biden administration’s FCC agency review team
- Held numerous meetings with FCC staff
- Provided members with FCC order summaries, templates, talking points and instructions for filing comments and ex parte letters
- Represented local governments on the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee and its Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group
- Worked with Senator Klobuchar’s office on a draft bill to provide funding for broadband projects, among other legislative efforts
- Coordinated discussions with industry and local governments to address local permitting during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Drafted, with NLC, a resource for local governments to assist with permitting during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Conducted a survey for local governments regarding telecommunications permitting and work in the rights-of-way
2023 Meetings & Events:
-
January Policy Committee: Wednesday, 1/4, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
January Franchising Subcommittee: Thursday, 1/19, 2:00 PM Eastern
-
February Policy Committee: Wednesday, 2/1, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
February Rights-of-Way Subcommittee: Thursday, 2/16, 2:00 PM Eastern
-
March Policy Committee: Wednesday, 3/1, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
March Franchising Subcommittee: Thursday, 3/16, 2:00 PM Eastern
-
April Policy Committee: Wednesday, 4/5, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
April Rights-of-Way Subcommittee: Thursday, 4/20, 2:00 PM Eastern
-
May Policy Committee: Wednesday, 5/3, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
May Franchising Subcommittee: Thursday, 5/18, 2:00 PM Eastern
-
June Policy Committee: Wednesday, 6/7, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
June Rights-of-Way Subcommittee: Thursday, 6/15, 2:00 PM Eastern
-
July Policy Committee: Wednesday, 7/5, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
July Franchising Subcommittee: Thursday, 7/20, 2:00 PM Eastern
-
August Policy Committee: Tuesday, 8/2, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
August Rights-of-Way Subcommittee: Thursday, 8/17, 2:00 PM Eastern
-
September Policy Committee: Wednesday, 9/6, 3:00 PM Eastern
-
September Franchising Subcommittee: Thursday, 9/21, 2:00 PM Eastern