BILL NUMBER: ACR 115CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 11 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 30, 2010 ADOPTED IN SENATE APRIL 26, 2010 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 8, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 8, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Emmerson (Coauthors: Assembly Members Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall, BillB Berryhill, TomB Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, CharlesB Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Garrick, Hagman, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lieu, BonnieB Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, JohnB A.B Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, AudraB Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, and Yamada) FEBRUARY 4, 2010 Relative to California Safe Digging Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 115, Emmerson. California Safe Digging Month. This measure would proclaim the month of April 2010 as California Safe Digging Month. WHEREAS, Through education about safe digging practices, excavators and homeowners can save time and money and keep our nation safe and connected by making a simple call to a three digit telephone number, 811, in advance of any digging project; and WHEREAS, Calling 811 to be connected to a One Call Center prior to digging, respecting the marked lines that demarcate underground utilities by maintaining visual definition throughout the course of the excavation, and digging with care around the marked lines will help keep Californians safe and prevent damage and destruction; and WHEREAS, California continues to grow along with the important underground utility infrastructure that the state depends upon; and WHEREAS, The 811 "Call Before You Dig" program is a vital public education and awareness program dealing with the safety of subsurface excavation; and WHEREAS, Every year California's underground utility infrastructure is jeopardized by unintentional damage caused by those who fail to call 811 to have underground utility lines located and marked prior to digging; and WHEREAS, Undesired consequences, such as service interruption, damage to the environment, personal injury, and even death, are the potential results of failing to call 811 prior to digging and having the utility lines safely marked; and WHEREAS, In California, there are two One Call Centers to call and request the marking of utility line locations prior to digging: the Underground Service Alert of Southern California (USA/SC) and the Underground Service Alert of Northern California and Nevada (USA North); and WHEREAS, In cooperation with its membership, California's public and private utilities, USA/SC, and USA North provide a free and effective damage prevention service that protects California's citizens, communities, public services, environment, and underground facilities; and WHEREAS, The services provided by the One Call Centers are at no cost to the caller; and WHEREAS, Both California One Call Centers are associated with the California Regional Common Ground Alliance, which is both a regional partner of the Common Ground Alliance and a member-driven association dedicated to ensuring public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services by promoting effective damage prevention practices; and WHEREAS, The free notification service provided by USA/SC and USA North has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of accidents causing personal injury and the interruption of vital services; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature proclaims the month of April 2010 as California Safe Digging Month; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.