Good day everyone,
We had another successful Damage Prevention Summit in March with outstanding sessions by industry experts. The exhibit hall was filled with vendors who demonstrated the latest and greatest tools and services to contribute to damage prevention. If you have never attended the Tennessee Damage Prevention Summit, I encourage you to check it out. Next year’s event is scheduled for March 23-25, 2027, and will be back at the Embassy Suites in Franklin, Tennessee.
We also celebrated our 29th annual invitational golf tournament at Hermitage Golf Course on April 9th, 2026. We had record attendance, and the weather could not have been better. Fun was had by all, along with great food and prizes. This tournament always fills up fast, so put next year on your calendar for April 22, 2027. That will be our 30th year, and you can expect it to be extra special.
As most of you read in the previous issue of this publication, we introduced an amendment to the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act (TCA 65-31-101 et seq.). Although the amendment had the support of the Tennessee 811 board and the Underground Utility Damage Enforcement Board, we met some resistance, specifically concerning the changes to the life of a ticket.
Under the current law, a locate request is good for 15 calendar days. We proposed changing this to 20 calendar days. In many cases, the paint and markings will last the 20 calendar days and if they don’t, an excavator can always call to have the markings refreshed. Extending the ticket life to 20 calendar days was an attempt to eliminate some of the waste in the system when markings are not necessary. We will be regrouping on this initiative for the 2027 legislative session, so keep an eye out for more information on this in the future.
Thank you to everyone who plays a part in damage prevention. We see you and respect everything you do to make Tennessee, the region, and our country a safer place.