Bill > SF908

This bill modifies the certification requirements for underground telecommunications installers in Minnesota. The bill updates the installation requirements for underground telecommunications infrastructure, specifying that safety-qualified installers must locate existing utilities through hand- or hydro-excavation and monitor drilling operations. The previous requirement for two installers to be present during directional drilling is removed. Starting January 1, 2026, all underground telecommunications infrastructure installations in the state must be performed by certified installers. The certification standards now require a 40-hour initial course covering safety procedures, utility identification, line strike response, and other critical skills. Participants must pass an approved examination and complete a four-hour refresher course every three years. The commissioner of labor and industry, in consultation with the Office of Broadband, will approve training providers and standards. The bill also allows training providers to seek retroactive approval for previously delivered training courses before January 1, 2026, with the condition that participants must still pass the certification examination to become safety-qualified underground telecommunications installers.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Labor and Employment

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF0908&ssn=0&y=2025