Bill > SB426

This bill aims to strengthen protections for underground facilities by allowing the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Board to collect unpaid penalties by placing liens on the property of those who fail to pay, and by modifying the timeframe for operators to respond to "one-call system" notifications, which are systems that alert facility owners about planned excavation work. Specifically, the bill shortens the response time for operators to mark the location of their underground facilities to 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, and clarifies that this response time begins at midnight following the day the one-call system receives the notification. It also introduces the possibility for excavators and operators to mutually agree in writing to an extended response time, waiving the standard 48-hour requirement. Additionally, the bill introduces a new definition for "course of training" as instruction designed to teach compliance with the article, developed by or under the board's direction, and clarifies that the board can require such training as part of its enforcement actions.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Government Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=426&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill