We successfully concluded Safe Digging Month in April, and it was jam-packed with events and kicked off by Governor Jeff Landry’s proclamation stating such. We had numerous opportunities to educate homeowners about the importance of “Call or Click Before You Dig,” including TV and radio interviews and on-site events. We sincerely thank all the media outlets and other damage-prevention-minded stakeholders who helped make our outreach campaign so effective.
I wanted to bring our readers up to speed with some legislative developments. We have a bill, SB469, which we fully support, that was formulated through the Dig Law Advisory Committee. This bill is currently going through the legislative process and addresses important issues such as mandatory positive response and requirements for excavators performing Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funded projects. We anticipate the passage of this legislation, which, if successful, would become law effective August 1, 2026. You can view the language in this bill by following this link: www.legis.la.gov/ and selecting “Bills” then typing in SB469.
There are a couple of other pieces of proposed legislation that you may want to look at while visiting this site. One is HB464, addressing mandatory damage reporting of underground utilities to our center, and the other is SB390, addressing a mandate for digital mapping of all utility systems. I feel confident the mandatory damage reporting will pass, and we are well-equipped to receive and disperse these notifications to the impacted members.
In closing, I highly encourage our readers to participate in our long-awaited “Get The Scoop” online meetings. The purpose of these one-hour or so meetings is to educate all stakeholders on topics such as: current legislation, how to effectively use our online ticket-entry tools, how to use new features, including TICKET TALK, and explain how to properly use the Pre-Design or Large Project ticket. Check out our calendar of events page to see when, where, and how to participate in these free informational events at
www.louisiana811.com/events-calendar/.
Until next time, God bless and keep safe!