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Committee to correct statute to standardize DigSafe advance notice at 72 hours
Summary
Senators discussed language to update two DigSafe statutory cross‑references that were inadvertently left at 48 hours; the draft aligns remaining citations to a 72‑hour advance‑notice requirement (excluding weekends and legal holidays).
Senate Transportation members reviewed draft corrections to DigSafe‑related statutes to bring references into alignment with a 72‑hour advance‑notice standard for marking underground utilities.
Background and change
The committee discussed text that would change two statutory cross‑references (previously left at “48 hours”) to 72 hours and specify that the period excludes Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. Committee staff said the change was intended to match amendments approved in other legislation and to avoid contractors being called out late on a Friday for weekend work.
Why it matters: The DigSafe notice window governs when utilities must mark buried facilities after an excavation request; standardizing the statutory text reduces confusion between different statutes and better matches current industry practice.
Committee discussion
Staff explained the draft updates all remaining 48‑hour references to 72 hours and noted the change was already part of budget‑related legislation that moved timelines to 72 hours. Committee members asked practical questions about how the DigSafe system records receipt and whether “written” notice includes email; staff recommended hearing from the DigSafe system operator for operational details. One senator noted that many contractors were already operating with a 72‑hour expectation.
Next steps
Committee staff said the language had been prepared by utilities staff and would be added to the bill; one senator indicated they would “put this in” and the chair moved to a short recess. No formal vote was recorded during the hearing.
