Modifies and creates new provisions relating to underground facilities
SB 133 revises Missouri’s underground facility damage-prevention law, commonly known as the “one-call” or “call before you dig” framework. The bill updates definitions, adds new terms such as electronic white lining, detectible underground location devices, locator wire, locator strip, reasonable care, and start date of work, and modernizes notice and response procedures for excavators and underground facility owners. It also expands the role of the statewide notification center and updates how excavation notices, design requests, locate status, and damage reports are handled.
The bill requires new and active underground facilities installed after August 28, 2025, with limited exceptions, to include detectible underground location devices unless they are otherwise electronically detectable. It also changes notice methods to emphasize internet-based and electronic communication, requires more detailed excavation notices, and clarifies timelines for responses, remarking, and “no response” procedures. The bill adds special provisions for trenchless excavation and sewer service connections, and it creates a new section stating that incorrect locate information provided by a facility owner can shield a compliant excavator from liability for resulting damage.
SB 133 repeals and reenacts multiple sections of Chapter 319, Missouri’s underground facility protection statutes, and makes substantive changes to duties owed by excavators, underground facility owners, sewer system owners, and the notification center. It strengthens locate and marking requirements, imposes detectible-device installation standards for certain new facilities, formalizes electronic white lining and locate-status systems, and provides liability rules tied to compliance and inaccurate locate information. The bill also affects recordkeeping, reporting, and governance of the notification center, and it preserves the general rule that excavators must still act carefully and prudently even after receiving locate information.
The voting history indicates strong bipartisan support for the bill. It passed the Senate 32-0 and the House 151-3, suggesting broad agreement that the underground-facility damage-prevention system needed modernization and clarification. The absence of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the overwhelming votes imply the bill was generally viewed favorably by both chambers.
The main policy tensions in the bill appear to involve the balance of responsibility between excavators and underground facility owners, especially around liability when locate information is wrong or markings are missing. The bill also narrows or clarifies what counts as excavation, how quickly owners must respond, and when excavators may proceed after a “no response” notice, which could be contentious for utilities, contractors, and locators. Another likely point of concern is the new requirement for detectible underground location devices on newly installed facilities, which may impose added costs on owners while improving future locate accuracy.