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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>70700</law_id><section_number>15.2-2108.20</section_number><catch_line>Authority to grant negotiated cable franchises and regulate cable systems</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-2108.19</reference><reference>15.2-2108.21</reference><reference>15.2-2108.22</reference><reference>56-466.2</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="21">Franchises; Sale and Lease of Certain Municipal Public Property; Public Utilities</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1.2">Licensing and Regulation of Cable Television Systems</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may grant a negotiated cable <span class="dictionary">franchise</span> in accordance with Title VI of the Communications <span class="dictionary">Act</span> of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. &#xA7; 521 et seq., and this chapter. <a id="paragraph-255062" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2108.20/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> A <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may, by <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span>, exercise all regulatory powers over <span class="dictionary">cable systems</span> granted by the Communications <span class="dictionary">Act</span> of 1934, except as limited by this article. These regulatory powers shall include the authority: (i) to enforce customer service standards in accordance with the <span class="dictionary">Act</span>; (ii) to enforce more stringent standards as agreed upon by the <span class="dictionary">cable operator</span> through the terms of a negotiated cable <span class="dictionary">franchise</span>; and (iii) to regulate the rates for basic <span class="dictionary">cable service</span> in accordance with the <span class="dictionary">Act</span>. A <span class="dictionary">locality</span>, however, shall not regulate <span class="dictionary">cable operators</span>, <span class="dictionary">cable systems</span>, or other facilities used to provide <span class="dictionary">video programming</span> through the adoption of <span class="dictionary">ordinances</span> or regulations (a) that are more onerous than <span class="dictionary">ordinances</span> or regulations adopted for existing <span class="dictionary">cable operators</span>; (b) that unreasonably prejudice or disadvantage any <span class="dictionary">cable operator</span>, whether existing or new; or (c) that are inconsistent with any provision of federal <span class="dictionary">law</span> or this article. <a id="paragraph-255063" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2108.20/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2006, cc. 73, 76.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
