THE PA ONE CALL LAW HAS BEEN STRENGTHENED AND RENEWED
October 31, 2024
Legislation to amend and extend the PA Underground Utility Line Protection Law – commonly known as the PA One Call Law – has passed the State Senate (Senator Lisa Baker’s S.B. 1237) and the State House of Representatives (Representative Rob Matzie’s H.B. 2189) and was signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro on October 29th and is now Act 127 of 2024. These bills amend the Act of December 10, 1974 (P.L.0852, No.287), which was set to expire on December 31, 2024.
This action by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania ensures the continued protection of Pennsylvanians and the workers who maintain essential underground facilities, and permanently extends the PA One Call Law. The Act also imposes duties upon the owners of facilities, providers of such services, and persons or entities preparing drawings or performing excavation or demolition work. The Act prescribes penalties for its violation and reestablishes the Damage Prevention Committee, administered by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, for compliance orders and the issuance of administrative penalties.
By removing a sunset provision, the General Assembly has ensured that the law will remain in effect indefinitely, avoiding any future lapses in its critical protections.
The full text of the new law can be found at:https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2023&sessInd=0&billBody=S&billTyp=B&billNbr=1237&pn=1950
Eckert Seamans has considerable experience with the PA One Call Law. Renardo (Rick) Hicks, in our Harrisburg Office, is a former Chief Counsel at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission with previous legal advisory responsibility for PA One Call administration and enforcement. At Eckert, in addition to representing clients in enforcement matters before the PUC, Hicks presents webinars and in-person presentations on the requirements of the One Call Law, details on how it is administered, and recommendations for best practices to ensure compliance with the Law. In addition, our Legislative counsel, Robert DeSousa, also in our Harrisburg office, is able to provide a detailed report on the legislative process and changes to this important law.
This Telecommunications Blog post is intended to keep readers current on matters affecting businesses and is not intended to be legal advice. If you have any questions please contact Rick Hicks at rhicks@eckertseamans.com or Bob DeSousa at rdesousa@eckertseamans.com.
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