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HR 127

Commending the Highland Telephone Cooperative.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Chris Runion

The resolution publicly commends Highland Telephone Cooperative for 120 years of service and its role in maintaining reliable local telecommunications for Highland County communiti

Bill text as passed House (HR127ER)
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Bill Summary · HR 127

Summary: House Resolution 127 (2026) – Commending the Highland Telephone Cooperative

Purpose

  • To commend and recognize the Highland Telephone Cooperative on the occasion of its 120th anniversary.
  • Acknowledges the cooperative’s historical significance as the oldest telephone cooperative in Virginia and its long-standing service to Highland County communities.

Key Provisions

  • Formal expression of admiration and appreciation from the Virginia House of Delegates for the Highland Telephone Cooperative.
  • Resolution notes the cooperative’s origins dating back to the 1890s, including the Monterey and Staunton Telephone Company (1894) and the subsequent Mutual Telephone Company efforts.
  • Traces the organizational evolution:
    • Mutual Telephone of Highland, Inc. chartered in February 1905.
    • Later incorporated as a cooperative corporation on March 31, 1980.
    • Renamed to Highland Telephone Cooperative.
  • Describes governance and ownership:
    • The cooperative is owned and governed by its members.
    • Members elect a board of directors to oversee finances, set policies, and hire a general manager.
  • Highlights community role and service:
    • Emphasizes ongoing collaboration to maintain and modernize telephone lines for reliability.
    • Serves more than 1,300 access lines in Blue Grass, Hightown, Mill Gap, Monterey, and Mustoe ( Highland County).
  • Administrative action:
    • Directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and present a copy of the resolution to the Highland Telephone Cooperative as a formal expression of the House’s admiration.

Who/What Is Affected

  • The Highland Telephone Cooperative (as the recipient of formal commendation).
  • The general public across Highland County communities served by the cooperative (contextual impact through recognition of a local infrastructure and service provider).

Procedural and Timeline Details

  • Introduced and Engrossed by the House of Delegates on February 23, 2026.
  • Agreed to by the House by voice vote on February 23, 2026.
  • Enrolled (HR127ER) and passed by the House on April 16, 2026.
  • Co-sponsor: Chris Runion.
  • This is a ceremonial resolution, with no substantive regulatory or fiscal changes; its effect is to publicly recognize and commend the organization.

Impact

  • Symbolic and ceremonial significance, honoring the Highland Telephone Cooperative’s 120-year history and contributions to local telecommunications service.
  • May bolster community pride and highlight the cooperative’s role in regional infrastructure and connectivity.

If you’d like, I can provide a plain-language one-page briefing or a side-by-side comparison with similar commemorative resolutions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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