Bill > H247

This bill updates North Carolina's Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act with several key provisions that enhance safety and clarify responsibilities for excavators and utility operators. The bill introduces new definitions, such as "soft dig technologies" (an excavation method using air or water pressure to remove soil), and modifies existing regulations around underground utility location and excavation. It expands requirements for utility operators, including mandating more precise facility markings, establishing new response timelines for locate requests (including three-hour responses for emergency and unmarked facility requests), and extending notification periods from 15 to 28 calendar days. The bill also modifies excavator responsibilities by refining the area and duration of locate requests, specifying safer excavation practices near pipeline systems, and providing a presumption of due care for excavators when utility operators fail to respond to locate requests. Additionally, the bill strengthens the Underground Damage Prevention Review Board by clarifying its composition, establishing attendance policies, and creating more structured processes for reviewing alleged violations, including informal conferences and arbitration procedures. The bill introduces a provision that any claims for damages must be adjudicated within North Carolina's court system and becomes effective on October 1, 2025.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Government Affairs, Justice, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H247