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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
underground facilities; excavations; notification
Purpose
Modifies the requirements under the Underground Facilities Statutes for excavators and underground facilities operators to coordinate the location and marking of underground facilities.
Background
In 1973, the Legislature established the Underground Facilities Statutes outlining procedures for underground facilities owners and operators to be notified in advance of excavations that may affect underground facilities. Subsequently in 1974, Arizona Blue Stake was established as the one-call notification center for underground facility owners and operators to coordinate digging plans and excavation markings in accordance with statute. In 2014, the center was renamed to Arizona 811, still acting as the one-call notification center (Laws 1973, Ch.57; Arizona811).
Current statue prohibits a person from making or beginning any excavation in any public street, alley, right-of-way, outlined utility easement, apartment community or mobile home park without first determining whether underground facilities will be encountered and if so where they are located. For all excavations in an apartment community or mobile home park, the excavator must inform the landlord as promptly as practical that the excavator intends to submit an inquiry to the landlord that will trigger the landlord's inquiry notification obligations. On a timely request by the underground facilities operator, the excavator must mark the boundaries of the area requested to be excavated in accordance with a color code designated by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) or by applicable customs or standards in the industry. Upon receipt of the excavator's inquiry, the underground facilities operator must respond as promptly as practical, but no later than two working days, by carefully marking such facilities with stakes or paint or in some customary manner. A landlord must respond in the same manner and as promptly as practical, but no later than 10 working days. A person may not begin excavating before the location and marking are complete or the excavator is notified that marking is unnecessary (A.R.S. § 40-360.22).
A person who violates any provision of the Underground Facilities Statutes is subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 to be imposed by the court in favor of the state. Any penalties received by the state must be deposited in the state General Fund (A.R.S. § 40-360.28).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
White Lining
1. Removes the requirement for excavators, upon request by the underground facilities operators, to mark the boundaries of the area requested to be excavated in accordance with a prescribed color code.
2. Requires an excavator, before an excavation notice is submitted to the one-call notification center, to clearly mark with white lining the area that is requested to be excavated in compliance with a color code that is established by the ACC or by applicable custom or standard.
3. Excludes, from white lining requirements, excavations that are performed by a person on residential property that is owned or occupied by the person.
4. Applies the white lining requirements to all excavations, including large projects and excavations on residential properties that are performed by persons who are employed by the homeowner or occupant of the residential property.
5. Requires, rather than allows, an underground facility operator to notify the excavator that marking is unnecessary.
6. Requires the notification that marking is unnecessary to be in accordance with the interactive positive response system (Interactive PSR), rather than in accordance with any mutually agreeable method.
Large Project Coordination
7. Requires an excavator that proposes to perform a large project to notify a one-call notification center as soon as possible but no less than 15 business days or 21 calendar days before the proposed start date to schedule a large project coordination meeting.
8. Provides that the large project notification to a one-call notification center initiates a meeting between the excavator and the underground facilities operator to:
a) identify the proposed plan for marking request notifications;
b) evaluate any potential underground facility conflicts;
c) establish a marking schedule; and
d) discuss any other protective measures that are appropriate to the scope and duration of the large project.
9. Requires an excavator that requests a large project coordination meeting to provide the following information to the one-call notification center:
a) the type of work to be performed;
b) the complete geographic scope;
c) the proposed phased plan for marking notifications within the complete geographic scope of the large project;
d) the proposed start date;
e) the expected completion date; and
f) a proposed meeting date, time and length for scheduling a meeting with the affected underground facility operators.
a) confirm the underground facilities operator's intent to attend the meeting as soon as possible but no later than two business days after receiving the large project notification;
b) identify any expected conflicts related to the underground facilities that may occur within the complete geographic scope of the large project; and
c) determine the resources and time frames that are necessary to complete markings based on the excavator's proposed phase plan for marking notifications.
11. Allows the large project coordination meeting to be on-site or virtual.
12. Allows the excavator to indicate whether the large project coordination meeting should take place on-site or virtually based on the discretion of the excavator.
13. Requires the excavator to provide a link to join the large project coordination meeting if the meeting is virtual.
14. Allows the excavator to use the large project coordination meeting to complete white lining if the meeting is on-site.
15. Requires the excavator and the underground facilities operator, at the large project coordination meeting, to establish a schedule for marking, excavation, remarking and other protective measures that are appropriate to the scope and duration of the large project.
16. Requires the excavator and the underground facilities operator to agree on the quantity of tickets and the geographic area that the tickets will cover.
17. Requires the excavator to follow the plan for ticket creation that was agreed to at the large project coordination meeting.
18. Specifies that the underground facilities operator has 15 business days from the date the excavator notifies the one-call notification center to locate and mark the geographic area, unless the excavator agrees to an extension in the Interactive PRS.
Interactive PRS and Marking
19. Requires the one-call notification center to provide an Interactive PRS, which is a tool for communication between the excavator and the underground facilities operator for the status of locating sites, work updates, changes in scheduling and other factors that may impact a large project.
20. Allows the excavator and the underground facilities operator to agree to a phased marking schedule that provides for timely and accurate markings of active work areas as submitted by the excavator within the marking request.
21. Deems compliance with an agreed phased schedule for marking as compliance with the prescribed excavation notice and marking requirements.
22. Requires any changes to an agreed phased schedule for marking to be communicated and agreed to by the excavator and the underground facilities operator through the Interactive PRS.
23. Designates that the one-call notification center as responsible for developing a process for underground facilities operators, excavators and designers to use the Interactive PRS to administer large project notifications, including ticket request procedures, coordination meeting standards and recordkeeping requirements.
24. Requires the markings to be completed within 15 business days if the excavator and underground facilities operator do not mutually agree on a marking schedule.
25. States that the validity period for the markings and the ticket refresh procedures applies to both large project tickets and standard excavation notice tickets.
26. Allows an excavator to begin excavating after the excavator contacts and receives all of the affected underground facility owners' responses through the Interactive PRS.
27. Requires an underground facilities operator to enter all locate status information, including marked, no conflict or delayed into the Interactive PRS within required time frames.
28. Deems an underground facilities operator's duty to mark as satisfied by compliance with a large project plan.
29. Deems an excavator that complies with an agreed large project schedule and that uses the Interactive PRS for all required communications as having satisfied the excavator's duty to request and maintain markings for the portion of the project covered by the large project schedule.
Civil Penalties
30. Excludes, from being subject to civil penalties, an excavation made during an emergency that involves immediate danger, rather than an emergency that involves danger, to life, health or property if reasonable precautions are taken to protect underground facilities.
31. Subjects an underground facilities operator or an excavator to a civil penalty of no more than $5000 if the underground facilities operator or the excavator fails:
a) to notify the one-call notification center at least two business days before beginning excavation;
b) to comply with a large project ticket coordination plan; and
c) to adhere to the requirements of the Interactive PRS.
Rulemaking
32. Requires the ACC, in consultation with the one-call notification center and impacted stakeholders, to:
a) adopt rules to implement Underground Facilities Statutes including procedures for large project tickets, mandatory white lining and the Interactive PRS; and
b) establish minimum technical and data security standards for the Interactive PRS.
33. Requires the ACC to adopt rules for enactment within one year after the effective date.
Miscellaneous
34. Defines Interactive PRS as an electronic internet-based platform that is administered by a one-call notification center and that enables excavators and underground facilities operators to exchange, record and verify responses and locate status updates and other required communications.
35. Defines large project as an excavation activity that meets one or more of the following criteria:
a) the overall project length exceeds one mile of linear excavation or a polygon with an area of a quarter square mile or more;
b) the project duration is expected to exceed 90 calendar days; or
c) the project includes more than 10 adjacent land parcels, rights-of-way or easements.
36. Excludes, from the definition of large project, the on-site development of a new residential or commercial project on a previously undeveloped parcel of land.
37. Defines large project notification as a notice that is filed with a one-call notification center for a large project.
38. Modifies the definition of one-call notification center as an organization of owners or operators of underground facilities that provides a notification service, rather than a telephone number notification service, for the purpose of receiving and distributing to its members advance notifications from persons regarding planned excavations.
39. Defines white lining as the practice of marking the proposed area of excavation on the ground surface using:
a) paint;
b) flags;
c) chalk; and
d) any other method that is customarily used.
40. Makes technical and conforming changes.
41. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 26, 2026
JT/NRG/ci