House Bill No. by Representative St. Blanc seeks to amend and reenact certain provisions of the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. The bill introduces a new definition for "manual probing," which refers to the use of non-mechanized devices to locate underground utilities. It also establishes that prior to any excavation or demolition, notice must be given to the regional notification center at least 48 hours in advance, with a stipulation that if work does not commence within 120 hours of the mark-by time, the excavator or demolisher will be in violation unless there is a mutual agreement to extend the time or extraordinary circumstances arise, such as weather-related events or equipment failure.

Additionally, the bill mandates that at least one person on any excavation or demolition site must have completed training provided by the Regional Notification Center on an annual basis, with exemptions for those certified under specific federal regulations. It clarifies the process for voluntary agreements between operators and excavators regarding mark-by times and states that if a mutual agreement cannot be reached within 30 calendar days, the large project notification will be deemed null and void, requiring the requesting party to cancel the large project notice and request a routine excavation or demolition notice instead.

Statutes affected:
HB392 Original: 40:13(B)(1)