III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. RES. 160
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Safe Digging Month.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL7, 2025
Mr. Y
OUNG(for himself, Mr. PETERS, Mr. CRUZ, and Ms. CANTWELL)
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Safe Digging
Month.
Whereas, each year, the underground utility infrastructure of
the United States, including pipelines, electric, gas, tele-
communications, fiber, water, sewer, and cable television
lines, is jeopardized by unintentional damage caused by
those who fail to have underground utility lines located
prior to digging;
Whereas some utility lines are buried only a few inches un-
derground, making the lines easy to strike, even during
shallow digging projects;
Whereas digging prior to having underground utility lines lo-
cated often results in unintended consequences, such as
service interruption, environmental damage, personal in-
jury, and even death;
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•SRES 160 ATS
Whereas the month of April marks the beginning of the peak
period during which excavation projects are carried out
around the United States;
Whereas, in 2002, Congress required the Department of
Transportation and the Federal Communications Com-
mission to establish a 3-digit, nationwide, toll-free num-
ber to be used by State ‘‘One Call’’ systems to provide
information on underground utility lines;
Whereas, in 2005, the Federal Communications Commission
designated ‘‘811’’ as the nationwide ‘‘One Call’’ number
for homeowners and excavators to use to obtain informa-
tion on underground utility lines before conducting exca-
vation activities (referred to in this preamble as the
‘‘‘One Call’/811 program’’);
Whereas the nearly 4,000 damage prevention professionals
who are members of the Common Ground Alliance,
States, the ‘‘One Call’’/811 program, and other stake-
holders who are dedicated to ensuring public safety, envi-
ronmental protection, and the integrity of services, pro-
mote the national ‘‘Contact 811 Before You Dig’’ cam-
paign to increase public awareness about the importance
of homeowners and excavators contacting 811 to find out
the location of underground utility lines before digging;
Whereas the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job
Creation Act of 2011 (Public Law 112–90; 125 Stat.
1904) affirmed and expanded the ‘‘One Call’’/811 pro-
gram by eliminating exemptions given to local and State
government agencies and their contractors regarding no-
tifying ‘‘One Call’’/811 centers before digging;
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•SRES 160 ATS
Whereas, according to the 2023 Damage Information Report-
ing Tool Report published by the Common Ground Alli-
ance in October 2024—
(1) ‘‘No notification to the 811 center’’ remains the
number 1 top root cause of damage;
(2) failure to notify 811 prior to digging contributed
to 26 percent of damages; and
(3) landscaping is the top type of work performed
when professionals cause no-notification damages; and
Whereas the Common Ground Alliance has designated April
as ‘‘National Safe Digging Month’’ to increase awareness
of safe digging practices across the United States and to
celebrate the anniversary of the designation of 811 as the
national ‘‘Contact Before You Dig’’ number: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate— 1
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National 2
Safe Digging Month; 3
(2) encourages all homeowners and excavators 4
throughout the United States to contact 811 by 5
phone or online before digging; and 6
(3) encourages all damage prevention stake-7
holders to help educate homeowners and excavators 8
throughout the United States about the importance 9
of contacting 811 to have the approximate location 10
of buried utilities marked with paint or flags before 11
digging. 12
Æ
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