HBA-MSH, TBM H.B. 1669 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1669 By: Turner, Bob Public Safety 3/13/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, an excavator is required to contact a notification center 48 hours before they begin to dig. The notification center is then required to contact any operators of underground facilities that are used to produce, store, convey, transmit, or distribute electrical energy, gas, petroleum, steam, telecommunications service, or certain liquids (operator) that may have lines in the area where an excavator plans to dig. Upon receiving notification, operators are required to mark the location of those underground facilities prior to the 48 hour deadline only if the operator believes that marking the location is necessary. The operator is not required to notify the excavator of a decision to mark or not to mark, which can delay excavation. House Bill 1669 requires an operator to notify an excavator of a decision to mark or not to mark the location of underground facilities 24 hours before excavation is to begin. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1669 amends the Utilities Code to provide that not later than the 24th hour before the time excavation is to begin, an operator of an underground facility contacted by the notification center is required to notify the excavator of the operator's plans to mark or not mark the proximate location of an underground facility at or near the site of the proposed excavation. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.