Provisions governing the certification of underground telecommunications installers modification
Summary
SF908 updates Minnesota’s construction code provisions governing underground telecommunications installation. The bill tightens safety requirements for work near existing underground utilities and for directional drilling projects by requiring safety-qualified underground telecommunications installers to perform utility locating, monitor drill-head location and depth, and have at least two certified installers present at any directional drilling site. It also phases in a statewide certification requirement for covered underground telecommunications work, first in the seven-county metropolitan area beginning July 1, 2025, and then statewide beginning January 1, 2026.
The bill also directs the commissioner of labor and industry, in consultation with the Office of Broadband, to approve standards for a certification program. Those standards include a 40-hour initial training course, an examination, and a four-hour refresher course every three years to maintain certification. The bill further establishes an approval process for training providers and allows the commissioner to suspend or revoke approval if providers do not consistently deliver the approved curriculum or prepare participants adequately. It also creates a pathway for approved providers to seek retroactive credit for certain prior classroom training completed before January 1, 2026.
Impact
SF908 amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 326B.198, subdivisions 2 and 3, expanding and clarifying the legal requirements for underground telecommunications installation and certification. It imposes new workforce qualification rules on contractors and installers working near underground utilities, especially in directional drilling operations, and creates a phased compliance schedule that becomes mandatory first in the metro area and then statewide. The bill also gives the Department of Labor and Industry a larger role in approving training standards and providers, which affects certification programs, employers, and workers in the broadband and utility construction sectors.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate 64-0 and the House 134-0, indicating strong agreement that additional training and safety standards are needed for underground telecommunications work. The lack of recorded committee testimony in the provided materials suggests no notable public controversy surfaced in the available record.
Contention
The main policy issue is the balance between improved safety and the added compliance burden on installers, contractors, and training providers. Supporters likely view the bill as a response to utility-strike risks and the need for more consistent training in broadband and underground infrastructure work, while any concerns would center on the cost and availability of certified workers, the administrative role of the commissioner, and the transition to statewide mandatory certification. The bill’s retroactive credit provision may also have been intended to ease implementation for existing workers and training programs.