SB5775 – Requires cities and towns to allow microtrenching for fiber optic cables.
Prime Sponsor – Senator Wellman (D; 41st District; Mercer Island) (Co-Sponsors Senators Short – R; Conway, Lovelett, Lovick, Nguyen, Claire Wilson, and Paul – Ds)
Current status – Referred to the Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology.
Next step would be – Scheduling a hearing.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.
HB1722 is a companion bill in the House.

Summary –
The bill would require cities and towns to allow microtrenching for installing fiber optic cable, unless they makes a written finding that allowing it would inconvenience the public use of the right-of-way or adversely affect public health, safety, and welfare. (A microtrench for conduit is no more than four inches wide and between 12 inches and 26 inches deep; they could be shallower if the jurisdiction and the installer agreed to that.) Jurisdictions could charge fees to cover their costs for issuing permits and inspections.