103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5546

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Amends the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act. Removes references to the State-Wide One-Call Notice System and replaces it with JULIE, Inc. Sets forth additional definitions. Provides that owners or operators of underground utility facilities are required to be members of JULIE. Sets forth requirements for excavators engaging in nonemergency excavation or demolition. Sets forth notice requirements prior to engaging in the excavation or demolition. Provides that underground utility facility owners or operators may request to be present when excavation occurs when there is a critical facility within a proposed excavation area and excavators shall comply with a request to be present during excavation. Creates the positive response system to be implemented by January 1, 2026. Provides that excavators and facility owners or operators shall use the positive response system to send and respond to required notices. Sets forth required response times in various circumstances. Provides that facility owners or operators shall respond to a valid planning design request and the requirements for the response. Provides for joint meet notifications and sets forth responsibilities of excavators and facility owners or operators for a joint meet. Provides that any county or the State that has shared geographic information system data with any other not-for-profit or agency shall share the information with JULIE. Sets forth requirements for emergency excavation or demolition circumstances. Sets forth liability for damage or dislocation of a facility. Makes other changes. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.


LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5546LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Underground Utility Facilities
5Damage Prevention Act is amended by changing Sections 1, 2, 3,
64, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11.3, 11.5, 12, 13, and 14 and by adding
7Sections 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, and 7.5 as follows:
 
8    (220 ILCS 50/1)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1601)
9    Sec. 1. This Act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
10Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act,
11and for the purposes of participating in the State of Illinois
12Joint Purchasing Program, the State-Wide One-Call Notice
13System, commonly referred to as "JULIE, Inc.", shall be
14considered as created by this Act.
15(Source: P.A. 96-714, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
16    (220 ILCS 50/2)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1602)
17    Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
18context clearly otherwise requires, the terms specified in
19this Section Sections 2.1 through 2.11 have the meanings
20ascribed to them in this Section in those Sections.
21    "Approximate location" means the location of the marked
22facility that lies entirely within the tolerance zone.

 

 

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1    "Damage" means the contact or dislocation of a facility
2during excavation or demolition that necessitates immediate or
3subsequent repair by the underground utility facility owner or
4operator due to any partial or complete destruction of the
5facility, including, but not limited to, the protective
6coating, tracer wire, lateral support, cathodic protection, or
7housing for the line or device of the facility.
8    "Damage notification" means a notification through JULIE
9to the underground utility facility owner or operator that
10damage to a facility has occurred in the area of the excavation
11or demolition.
12    "Day" or "days" means any day, beginning at 12:00 a.m. and
13ending at 11:59 p.m., excluding holidays recognized by JULIE,
14Saturdays, Sundays and the day of the actual notice.
15    "Demolition" means the wrecking, razing, rending, moving,
16or removing of a structure by means of any power tool, power
17equipment (exclusive of transportation equipment), or
18explosives.
19    "Emergency request" means a request involving a condition
20that constitutes an imminent danger to life, health, or
21property, or a utility service outage, and that requires
22repair or action before the expiration of 2 days.
23    "Excavation" means:
24        (1) any operation in which earth, rock, or other
25    material in or on the ground is moved, removed, or
26    otherwise displaced by means of any tools, power equipment

 

 

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1    or explosives, and includes, without limitation, grading,
2    trenching, digging, ditching, drilling, augering, boring,
3    tunneling, scraping, cable or pipe plowing, saw cutting or
4    roadway surface milling when penetrating into the base or
5    subbase of a paved surface, and driving, but does not
6    include:
7            (A) farm tillage operations;
8            (B) railroad right-of-way maintenance;
9            (C) coal mining operations regulated under the
10        federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of
11        1977 or any State law or rules or regulations adopted
12        under the federal statute;
13            (D) land surveying operations as defined in the
14        Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989 when
15        not using power equipment;
16            (E) roadway surface milling;
17            (F) manually inserting, without the use of power
18        equipment, a temporary round-tipped ground or probe
19        rod as part of facility locating;
20            (G) manually inserting, without the use of power
21        equipment, a temporary round-tipped probe rod for bar
22        holing to determine the area of a potential leak from a
23        facility transporting hazardous gases or liquids; or
24            (H) manually inserting, without the use of power
25        equipment, a round-tipped ground rod for the purpose
26        of grounding utility equipment when an emergency

 

 

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1        exists and no other ground source is available.
2        (2) An exclusion to this Section in no way prohibits a
3    request from being made for the marking of facilities.
4        (3) Any exception to excavation contained within this
5    Section is not intended to remove liability that may be
6    imposed against an individual or entity because of damage
7    caused to a facility.
8    "Excavator" means any person or legal entity, public or
9private, that engages in excavation or demolition work.
10    "Exposed notification" means a notification through JULIE
11to the underground utility facility owner or operator that an
12unmarked facility has been exposed in the area of the
13excavation or demolition but has not been damaged.
14    "Extension" means a request made by an excavator, to
15extend the expiration date of a normal notice to allow
16additional time to continue or complete the excavation or
17demolition project.
18        (1) An extension request may be made no earlier than
19    the 20th day from the initial normal notice request or
20    latest extension request.
21        (2) An extension request will extend, by 25 days, the
22    expiration of the initial normal notice request or latest
23    extension request.
24        (3) An extension request may not be made simply to
25    keep a prior notice open without continued excavation
26    occurring within the period of that subsequent notice.

 

 

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1    "Geographic information system data" means data to be
2applied to JULIE software to facilitate a more clearly defined
3notification area for notices sent to the system underground
4utility facility owners or operators. "Geographic information
5system data" includes, but is not limited to:
6        (1) address points with site addresses;
7        (2) parcels with site addresses;
8        (3) road center lines with names and address range;
9        (4) city limits with names;
10        (5) political townships with names;
11        (6) railroads with names;
12        (7) streams with names; and
13        (8) water bodies with names.
14    "Incomplete request" means a notice initiated by an
15excavator through JULIE to the underground utility facility
16owners or operators notified in a prior request that such
17underground utility facility owners or operators, as
18identified by the excavator and confirmed, through the
19positive response system once implemented, in accordance with
20subsection (a) of Section 5.1, did not completely mark the
21entire extent or the entire segment of the proposed
22excavation, as identified on the prior notice or as previously
23documented and mutually agreed upon.
24    "Joint meet request" means a notice of a meeting held
25prior to the excavation phase to discuss projects that cannot
26be adequately communicated within a normal notice request. The

 

 

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1meeting is intended to allow the exchange of maps, plans, or
2schedules. It is not a locating session and shall be held at or
3near the excavation site, or through electronic means, if
4available and agreed to by all parties. Joint meet requests
5are not to be used in lieu of valid normal notice requests and
6are required for, but not limited to, large projects.
7    "JULIE Excavation Safety Resource" means the materials
8periodically updated and published by JULIE that provide
9information for excavators and underground utility facility
10owners or operators on the use and services of JULIE, Inc.
11    "Large project" means a single excavation that exceeds the
12expiration date of a normal notice request, or involves a
13series of repetitive, related-scope excavations.
14    "Locatable service laterals" applies to underground
15facilities installed after December 31, 2025. Any excavator or
16legal entity, public or private, who, after December 31, 2025,
17installs a nonconductive service lateral shall ensure the
18installation is locatable by electromagnetic means or other
19equally effective means for marking the location of the
20service lateral. The requirement shall not apply to minor
21repairs to, or partial replacements of, service laterals
22installed prior to December 31, 2025.
23    "Normal notice request" means a notification made by an
24excavator, through JULIE, in advance of a planned excavation
25or demolition.
26        (1) The notification shall be made at least 2 days,

 

 

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1    but no more than 10 days, before beginning the planned
2    excavation or demolition.
3        (2) Excavation or demolition on a normal notice
4    request is valid for 25 days from the date of the initial
5    request unless a subsequent extension request is made.
6        (3) Normal notice requests shall be limited to one
7    quarter of a contiguous mile within a municipality and one
8    contiguous mile within any unincorporated area, which
9    includes townships.
10        (4) Normal notice requests are valid for a single
11    right-of-way with an exception for intersecting
12    rights-of-way of 250 feet in all directions. Any
13    excavation continuing beyond 250 feet on a connecting
14    right-of-way shall require an additional request.
15    "No show request" means a notice initiated by an excavator
16through JULIE to the underground utility facility owners or
17operators notified in the prior notice that such underground
18utility facility owners or operators, as identified by the
19excavator and confirmed, once implemented, in accordance with
20subsection (a) of Section 5.1, either failed to mark their
21facilities or to communicate their non-involvement with the
22excavation prior to the dig start date and time on the notice.
23    "Notice" means any record transmitted to an underground
24utility facility owner or operator of JULIE which shall
25include, but not be limited to, cancel, damage, emergency,
26exposed, extension, incomplete, joint meet, no show, normal,

 

 

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1planning design, or re-mark.
2    "One-Call Notice System" means the communication system
3known as "JULIE, Inc." or "JULIE", utilized by excavators,
4designers, or any other entities covered by this Act to notify
5underground utility facility owners or operators of their
6intent to perform excavation or demolition or similar work as
7defined by this Act and shall include all underground utility
8facilities owned or operated outside the city limits of the
9City of Chicago.
10    "Open cut utility locate" means a method of locating
11facilities that requires excavation by the underground utility
12facility owner or operator, or their contractor or
13subcontractor.
14    "Place" means any political subdivision, incorporated or
15unincorporated, listed within the JULIE database.
16    "Planning design request" means the process prior to the
17excavation phase of a project where information is gathered
18and decisions are made regarding the route or location of a
19proposed excavation. The use of the information that is
20obtainable pursuant to this Section is intended to minimize
21delays of future construction projects and not for imminent
22excavation. The underground utility facility owner or operator
23may indicate any portion of the information that is
24proprietary and require the planner or designer to protect the
25proprietary information.
26    "Positive response system" means an automated system

 

 

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1facilitated by JULIE allowing underground utility facility
2owners or operators to communicate to an excavator the
3presence, absence, or response status of any conflict between
4the existing facilities in or near the area of excavation or
5demolition on each notice received.
6    "Pre-mark" means the use of white paint, chalk, lathe,
7whiskers, flags, or electronic white lining using lines or
8polygons to delineate the work area at the site of the proposed
9excavation or demolition. Unless otherwise stated on the
10request, all pre-marks are considered a request for a 5-foot
11radius of an above ground fixed structure or single point
12pre-mark, or a 10-foot-wide path for linear work.
13        (1) Physical pre-marking for the area of the planned
14    excavation or demolition shall be accomplished prior to
15    notifying JULIE.
16        (2) Electronic white lining may be used when
17    available. Electronic white lining provides an alternative
18    method where an excavator may indicate their defined dig
19    area visually by electronic data entry (lines or polygons)
20    without the need for a physical site visit. The technology
21    allows the excavator to identify for the underground
22    utility facility owner or operator a clear delineation of
23    their proposed excavation area.
24        (3) A verbal pre-mark is adequate when the scope
25    requested to be marked is narrow and explicit enough to
26    prevent marking beyond the actual area of excavation or

 

 

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1    demolition. An existing above ground fixed structure may
2    be referenced as a verbal pre-mark.
3    "Project owner" means the person or legal entity, public
4or private, that is financially responsible for the
5undertaking of a project that involves excavation or
6demolition.
7    "Reasonable Control Measurement" shall be used to
8determine notice volumes or dig site notification areas that
9exceed historic averages by more than 15% for a particular
10place. Historic averages shall be determined by comparing
11notice volumes or dig site notification areas over the
12immediate past 7 days to the same 7-day period for the past 5
13years. A 5-year trimmed mean, removing the highest and lowest
14years, and averaging the remaining 3 years, shall be the final
15determinate of this measurement. The official measurement of
16the notice volumes or dig site notification areas shall be
17provided by JULIE. If an underground utility facility owner or
18operator, their contractor, or subcontractor, provides a
19minimum of 90 days advance notice of a large project, through
20JULIE, and fully complies with the joint meet process as
21required in Section 5.3, shall have no additional days
22required prior to the start of excavation because of
23fluctuations in notice volume.
24    "Re-mark request" means a notice initiated by an excavator
25through JULIE to the underground utility facility owners or
26operators notified in the previous notice requesting

 

 

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1underground utility facility owners or operators to re-mark
2all or part of the work area identified in the previous notice
3because facility markings are becoming or have become
4indistinguishable due to factors, including, but not limited
5to, weather, fading, construction activity, or vandalism. Only
6the affected areas where excavation or demolition is to
7continue shall be requested to be re-marked.
8    "Residential property owner" means any individual or
9entity that owns or leases real property that is used by the
10individual or entity as its residence or dwelling. Residential
11property owner does not include any persons who own or lease
12residential property for the purpose of holding or developing
13such property or for any other business or commercial
14purposes.
15    "Roadway surface milling" means the removal of a uniform
16pavement section by rotomilling, grinding, saw cutting, or
17other means that does not penetrate into the roadway base or
18subbase.
19    "Service lateral" means underground facilities located in
20a public right-of-way or utility easement that connects an end
21user's building or property to an underground utility facility
22owner's or operator's facility.
23    "Submerged" means any facility installed below the surface
24of a lake, river, or navigable waterway.
25    "Tolerance zone" means:
26        (1) if the diameter of the underground utility

 

 

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1    facility is indicated, the distance of one-half of the
2    known diameter plus one and one-half feet on either side
3    of the designated center line of the underground utility
4    facility marking;
5        (2) if the diameter of the underground utility
6    facility is not indicated, one and one-half feet on either
7    side of the outside edge of the underground utility
8    facility marking; or
9        (3) if submerged, a distance of 30 feet on either side
10    of the indicated facility.
11        The underground utility facility markings provided
12    shall not indicate that the width of the marked
13    underground utility facility is any greater than the
14    actual width of the underground utility facility or 2
15    inches, whichever is greater. The tolerance zone shall
16    also apply to visible utility structures, including, but
17    not limited to, poles with overhead to underground
18    transitions, pedestals, transformers, meters, hydrants,
19    and valve boxes. There shall be a one and one-half foot
20    tolerance zone horizontally around such facilities.
21    "Underground utility facility" or "facility" means and
22includes wires, ducts, fiber optic cable, conduits, pipes,
23sewers, and cables and their connected appurtenances installed
24or existing beneath the surface of the ground or submerged and
25either owned, operated, or controlled by:
26        (1) a public utility as defined in the Public

 

 

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1    Utilities Act;
2        (2) a municipally owned or mutually owned utility
3    providing a similar utility service;
4        (3) a pipeline entity transporting gases, crude oil,
5    petroleum products, or other hydrocarbon materials within
6    the State;
7        (4) a telecommunications carrier as defined in the
8    Universal Telephone Service Protection Law of 1985, or by
9    a company described in Section 1 of the Telephone Company
10    Act;
11        (5) a community antenna television system, as defined
12    in the Illinois Municipal Code or the Counties Code;
13        (6) a holder or broadband service, as those terms are
14    defined in the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007;
15        (7) any other entity owning or operating underground
16    facilities that transport or generate electrical power to
17    other utility owners or operators;
18        (8) an electric cooperative as defined in the Public
19    Utilities Act; and
20        (9) any other active underground utility facility
21    owner or operator of JULIE.
22(Source: P.A. 94-623, eff. 8-18-05.)
 
23    (220 ILCS 50/3)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1603)
24    Sec. 3. JULIE Membership. The owners or operators of
25underground utility facilities are required to be members of

 

 

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1JULIE. JULIE shall require that all facility information
2needed to operate JULIE within each underground utility
3facility owner's or operator's domain be identified and
4provided by the underground utility facility owner or operator
5to JULIE or CATS facilities that are not currently
6participants in the State-Wide One-Call Notice System shall,
7within 6 months of the effective date of this Act, join the
8State-Wide One-Call Notice System. This Section shall not
9apply to utilities operating facilities or CATS facilities
10exclusively within the boundaries of a municipality with a
11population of at least one million persons.
12(Source: P.A. 86-674.)
 
13    (220 ILCS 50/4)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1604)
14    Sec. 4. Required activities. Every excavator person who
15engages in nonemergency excavation or demolition shall:
16        (a) take reasonable action to inform the excavator
17    himself of the location of any underground utility
18    facilities in and near the area for which such operation
19    is to be conducted;
20        (b) plan the excavation or demolition to avoid or
21    minimize interference with underground utility facilities
22    within the tolerance zone by utilizing such precautions
23    that include, but are not limited to, hand or excavation,
24    vacuum excavation methods to the depth of the proposed
25    excavation or demolition, and visually inspecting the

 

 

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1    excavation while in progress until clear of the
2    approximate location of the existing marked facility;
3        (c) pre-mark the area of excavation if practical, use
4    white paint, flags, stakes, or both, to outline the dig
5    site;
6        (d) provide notice not less than 2 days 48 hours but no
7    more than 10 14 calendar days in advance of the start of
8    the excavation or demolition to the owners or operators of
9    the underground utility facilities at or in and near the
10    excavation or demolition area through JULIE the State-Wide
11    One-Call Notice System or, in the case of nonemergency
12    excavation or demolition within the boundaries of a
13    municipality of at least one million persons which
14    operates its own one-call notice system, through the
15    one-call notice system which operates in that
16    municipality.
17        At a minimum, the notice required under this
18    subsection (d) shall provide:
19            (1) the excavator's person's name, address, phone
20        number at which the excavator a person can be reached,
21        and fax number, if available, a fax number and email
22        address;
23            (2) the start date and time of the planned
24        excavation or demolition;
25            (3) the county and place or places all counties,
26        cities, or townships, or any combination thereof,

 

 

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1        where the proposed excavation shall take place;
2            (4) the address or location at which the
3        excavation or demolition shall take place;
4            (5) the type of work, and extent, and description
5        of the area where the excavation or demolition is to
6        occur of the work involved; and
7            (6) the section or quarter sections when the
8        information in items (1) through (5) of this
9        subsection (d) does not allow JULIE the State-Wide
10        One-Call Notice System to determine the appropriate
11        excavation or demolition site. This item (6) does not
12        apply to residential property owners;
13            (7) an indication of whether directional boring or
14        horizontal directional drilling will be used;
15            (8) an indication of whether the excavation will
16        exceed 7 feet in depth;
17            (9) an indication of how the proposed excavation
18        or demolition has been pre-marked;
19            (10) the identity of the project owner; and
20            (11) the latitude and longitude of the relevant
21        area, if available;
22            The information specified in items (1) through
23        (10) is still required when providing latitude and
24        longitude;
25        (e) provide, during and following excavation or
26    demolition, such support for existing underground utility

 

 

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1    facilities in and near the excavation or demolition area
2    as may be reasonably necessary for the protection of such
3    facilities and known service laterals unless otherwise
4    agreed to by the owner or operator of the underground
5    facility or owners of any known service laterals;
6        (f) backfill all excavations in such manner and with
7    such materials as may be reasonably necessary for the
8    protection of existing underground utility facilities in
9    and near the excavation or demolition area;
10        (g) after February 29, 2004, when the excavation or
11    demolition project will extend past 28 calendar days from
12    the 25-day expiration date of the original notice provided
13    under clause (d) or a subsequent extension notice, if
14    marks are requested, the excavator shall pre-mark prior to
15    requesting any subsequent extension notice , the excavator
16    shall provide a subsequent notice to the owners or
17    operators of the underground utility facilities in and
18    near the excavation or demolition area through the
19    State-Wide One-Call Notice System or, in the case of
20    excavation or demolition within the boundaries of a
21    municipality having a population of at least 1,000,000
22    inhabitants that operates its own one-call notice system,
23    through the one-call notice system that operates in that
24    municipality informing utility owners and operators that
25    additional time to complete the excavation or demolition
26    project will be required. The notice will provide the

 

 

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1    excavator with an additional 28 calendar days from the
2    date of the subsequent notification to continue or
3    complete the excavation or demolition project;
4        (h) exercise due care at all times to protect
5    underground utility facilities and known service laterals.
6    If, after proper notification through JULIE the State-Wide
7    One-Call Notice System and upon arrival at the site of the
8    proposed excavation, the excavator observes clear evidence
9    of the presence of an unmarked or incompletely marked
10    facility utility in the area of the proposed excavation,
11    the excavator shall provide subsequent notice through
12    JULIE of the unmarked or incompletely marked area and
13    shall not begin excavating until all affected facilities
14    have been marked or 2 hours, whichever is shorter, unless
15    a greater time is indicated on the subsequent notice after
16    an additional call is made to the State-Wide One-Call
17    Notice System for the area. The owner or operator of the
18    underground utility facility shall respond within 2 hours
19    unless a greater time is indicated on the notice provided
20    through JULIE of the excavator's call to the State-Wide
21    One-Call Notice System; and
22        (i) when factors, including, but not limited to,
23    weather, construction activity, or vandalism, at the
24    excavation site have caused the facility utility markings
25    to become faded or indistinguishable, the excavator shall
26    pre-mark again and provide a re-mark request an additional

 

 

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1    notice through JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice System
2    requesting that only the affected areas where excavation
3    or demolition is to continue be re-marked. Underground
4    utility facility Facility owners or operators must respond
5    to the notice to re-mark by the dig start date and time on
6    the notice according to the requirements of Section 10 of
7    this Act.
8    (j) for informational and planning purposes only, prior
9notice of large projects may be provided to underground
10utility facility owners or operators through JULIE greater
11than 10 days in advance of the large project commencing.
12    Nothing in this Section prohibits the use of any method of
13excavation if conducted in a manner that would avoid
14interference with underground utility facilities.
15(Source: P.A. 96-714, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
16    (220 ILCS 50/4.1 new)
17    Sec. 4.1. Watch and protect.
18    (a) If, upon notice from JULIE, an underground utility
19facility owner or operator determines that there is a critical
20facility within the proposed excavation area and the
21underground utility facility owner or operator desires to have
22an authorized representative present during excavation near
23the critical facility, the underground utility facility owner
24or operator shall contact the excavator prior to the dig start
25date and time provided on the notice to schedule a date and

 

 

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1time for the underground utility facility owner or operator to
2be present when excavation will occur near the critical
3facility.
4    (b) All excavators shall comply with the underground
5utility facility owner's or operator's request to be present
6during excavation near critical facilities. In lieu of having
7an authorized representative present, the underground utility
8facility owner or operator may choose to perform an open cut
9utility locate of the critical facility to expose its
10location. However, it is incumbent on the underground utility
11facility owner or operator to comply with the excavator's
12schedule for when excavation will occur near the critical
13facility.
14    (c) During the course of a project, if excavation near
15critical facilities stops by more than one day and then
16recommences, the excavator shall establish direct contact with
17the underground utility facility owner or operator not less
18than one day prior to the excavation, each time the excavation
19is to occur, to advise the underground utility facility owner
20or operator of the excavation taking place.
21    (d) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit an excavator
22from excavating prudently and carefully near a critical
23facility without the underground utility facility owner or
24operator present if the underground utility facility owner or
25operator waives the request to be present or to complete an
26open cut utility locate exposing the critical facility or is

 

 

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1unable to comply with the excavator's schedule.
 
2    (220 ILCS 50/5.1 new)
3    Sec. 5.1. Positive response system.
4    (a) Beginning January 1, 2026, an excavator shall confirm
5through the positive response system prior to excavation or
6demolition that all underground utility facility owners or
7operators that are identified on the notice have provided a
8status update, responded, or marked or provided an all-clear
9notification.
10    (b) Beginning January 1, 2026, an underground utility
11facility owner or operator shall respond through the positive
12response system prior to the dig start date and time on the
13notice with an appropriate system code. A minimal delay not to
14exceed one hour in reporting a system code in response to an
15emergency request shall not be a violation of this Section.
16    (c) If an underground utility facility owner or operator
17fails to respond or provide a status update through the
18positive response system by the dig start date and time on the
19notice, or a later time as otherwise agreed upon and submitted
20through the positive response system, JULIE shall transmit an
21additional notification to that underground utility facility
22owner or operator and shall continue to send out daily
23notifications until the positive response system receives a
24response confirming compliance with this Section.
25    (d) If an underground utility facility owner or operator

 

 

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1fails to respond or provide a status update to the positive
2response system, the excavator may proceed after providing a
3no show or incomplete request through JULIE. The notified
4underground utility facility owners or operators shall respond
5by the dig start date and time on the notice.
6    (e) If all notified underground utility facility owners or
7operators have responded as "marked" or "clear" prior to the
8expiration of the dig start date and time on the notice, the
9wait time shall be considered expired and no additional wait
10time is required prior to commencing with the excavation or
11demolition work listed on the notice.
 
12    (220 ILCS 50/5.2 new)
13    Sec. 5.2. Planning design request.
14    (a) An underground utility facility owner or operator
15shall have the following responsibilities:
16        (1) respond to a valid planning design request within
17    10 days after receiving the request or by such other date
18    as shall be mutually agreed upon between the underground
19    utility facility owner or operator and the designer or
20    planner. The underground utility facility owner or
21    operator shall provide information regarding the location,
22    size, if greater than 1.5 inches in diameter, which shall
23    be generically listed as communication, electric, gas,
24    water, sewer, streetlight, or traffic control and if
25    direct buried or in conduit or a duct package, of

 

 

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1    facilities based on the best information available to the
2    underground utility facility owner or operator within the
3    scope of the proposed project;
4        (2) respond to a planning design request in one of the
5    following methods:
6            (A) if available, provide digital, KMZ file or
7        shapefile, or paper drawings or prints, that are drawn
8        to scale. Include visible utility structures, which
9        shall include, measurements from back of curb,
10        sidewalk, edge of pavement, centerline of ditch,
11        property lines, and other similar items;
12            (B) request the proposed plans or drawings from
13        the designer or planner and illustrate the location of
14        the underground utility facility owner's or operator's
15        facilities, drawn to scale. If available, providing
16        the type and size, as described in paragraph (1), of
17        the facilities, including visible structures on such
18        plans;
19            (C) locate and mark the underground utility
20        facility owner's or operator's facilities within the
21        scope of the proposed project, as agreed to with the
22        planner or designer;
23            (D) if the responding underground utility facility
24        owner or operator is unable to comply with paragraph
25        (A) or (B), then the underground utility facility
26        owner or operator shall mark the facilities within the

 

 

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1        scope of the proposed project, as agreed to with the
2        planner or designer; or
3            (E) if marking of infrastructure is the preferred
4        or required response of the underground utility
5        facility owner or operator, the underground utility
6        facility owner or operator need only mark main line
7        facilities or any service lines that would otherwise
8        be considered main line due to size or type, as
9        described in paragraph (1); and
10        (3) may charge a nominal fee to locate and mark the
11    proposed project, as described in subparagraph (C) or (D)
12    of paragraph (2);
13    (b) The planner or designer shall have the following
14responsibilities:
15        (1) follow the guidelines set forth in CI/ASCE 38-02
16    Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of
17    Existing Subsurface Utility Data, as amended, when
18    preparing plans or drawings;
19        (2) illustrate on all appropriate documents the
20    position, size, and type, as defined in paragraph (1) of
21    subsection (a), of all known facilities obtained in the
22    planning design request process and include the valid
23    planning design request number provided by JULIE on any
24    plans or drawings; and
25        (3) make all reasonable efforts to prepare the plans
26    or drawings to minimize interference with known existing

 

 

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1    and proposed facilities in the proposed project area.
2    (c) A planning design request shall include the following
3information:
4        (1) name, address, telephone number, office and cell
5    phone, and, if available, email address of the designated
6    contact requesting the information;
7        (2) name, address, telephone number, office and cell
8    phone, and, if available, email address of the project
9    owner;
10        (3) the approximate date when the facility information
11    is required; and
12        (4) the specific area requiring facility information
13    by one or more of the following means:
14            (A) the county and place or places involved in the
15        proposed project;
16            (B) street names involved in the proposed project
17        or the north, south, east, and west boundaries of the
18        proposed project or the section number or numbers
19        involved in the proposed project;
20            (C) latitude and longitude coordinates of the
21        outside edges of the proposed project;
22            (D) digital data such as, but not limited to,
23        shapefiles when technology and software allow; and
24            (E) the type of work projected to take place
25        within the proposed project.
26    Known site-specific facility information shall be made

 

 

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1available to the project owner to be delivered to qualified
2bidders of the proposed project.
 
3    (220 ILCS 50/5.3 new)
4    Sec. 5.3. Joint meet notification.
5    (a) A joint meet notification shall include the following
6information:
7        (1) the excavator's name, address, phone number at
8    which the excavator can be reached, and, if available, a
9    fax number and email address;
10        (2) the county and place or places where the work will
11    be performed;
12        (3) street names involved in the project or the north,
13    south, east, and west boundaries of the project or the
14    section number or numbers involved in the project;
15        (4) the date, time, and location where the joint meet
16    will take place. The location of the joint meet shall be
17    near the project site; and
18        (5) a minimum advance notice of the joint meet of 2
19    days, but no more than 90 days prior to the planned start
20    of excavation or demolition.
21    (b) Upon the receipt of a joint meet notification, an
22underground utility facility owner or operator shall attend
23the joint meet at the specified time and location; electronic
24meetings are also acceptable. In the event there is a conflict
25between joint meet notifications, an excavator that provided a

 

 

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1joint meet notification may receive a communication from an
2underground utility facility owner or operator requesting an
3alternate meeting time or date.
4    (c) If a joint meet notification is provided as part of a
5large project, the excavator shall notify the project owner
6and the designer or planner when and where the joint meet is to
7occur.
8    (d) Multiple joint meets shall be required in the case of a
9large project that extends into multiple places. The excavator
10shall schedule, at a minimum, one joint meet per place to
11accommodate travel restrictions of responding underground
12utility facility owners or operators. A single electronic
13meeting covering multiple places is also acceptable.
14    (e) Prior to the meeting, the excavator shall physically
15or electronically pre-mark the extent of the initial request
16for the proposed excavation area or route if normal notice
17requests are planned to be submitted with excavation beginning
18after the minimum advance notice of 2 days after the joint
19meet. The minimum advance notice for a large project is 5 days.
20    (f) Those participating at the joint meet shall agree to
21their individual obligations consistent with the project.
22Parties are expected to negotiate in good faith. Underground
23utility facility owner or operator, along with the excavator
24involved, shall work in a cooperative manner to negotiate in
25good faith. These obligations may vary from project to
26project. It is not the intent of this process to provide a

 

 

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1specific set of standards for all projects. It is intended
2that those participating at the joint meet shall have the
3flexibility to make decisions consistent with the project's
4parameters.
5    (g) The scope of the project shall be defined at the joint
6meet and specific project details, including, but not limited
7to, the number of phases, and the number of excavation crews
8working for the contractor or subcontractors, to the extent
9possible, shall be provided.
10    (h) The size and number of normal notice requests agreed
11to be submitted at one time at the joint meet shall be
12documented in the meeting notes and made available to those
13participating in the joint meet. However, any such agreement
14reached shall not exceed the normal notice request extension
15limits or exceed the reasonable control of the underground
16utility facility owners or operators as described in
17subsection (g) of Section 11.
18    (i) If an underground utility facility owner or operator
19fails to attend the joint meet and does not request an
20alternate time or date to meet prior to commencement of
21excavation, the excavator may proceed according to the
22agreement reached with those attending the meeting.
23    (j) Within 90 days after the joint meet, the excavator
24shall submit the normal notice requests consistent with the
25agreements reached at the joint meet.
26    (k) The initial normal notice requests submitted after the

 

 

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1joint meet shall require a minimum of 2 days advance notice and
25 days advance notice for large projects. All remaining normal
3notice requests shall be submitted in agreement with the joint
4meet schedule and provide a minimum advance notice of 2 days.
5The excavator shall not submit normal notice requests until
6after the joint meet.
7    (l) If the project start is delayed more than 90 days, or
8the scope of the project changes after the joint meet has been
9held and the locate schedule agreed to, a new joint meet
10notification shall be required.
11    (m) In a situation where an excavator creates multiple
12normal notice requests for a single project without a joint
13meet being held, an affected underground utility facility
14owner or operator may contact the excavator and recommend the
15excavator follow the joint meet process to assist in working
16out a locate schedule. A notified excavator that fails to
17follow the joint meet process may realize delays in marking of
18facilities on their project. In accordance with subsection (e)
19of Section 10, a delay in marking is not necessarily deemed a
20violation of this Act.
 
21    (220 ILCS 50/5.4 new)
22    Sec. 5.4. Geographic information system data. Geographic
23information system data shall be provided to JULIE by any
24county or State agency that has provided substantially similar
25data to any other not-for-profit or State agency utilizing

 

 

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1such data for public display of information or to be utilized
2by a not-for-profit or agency in the interest of public
3safety. This data shall be provided to JULIE at a cost not to
4exceed the actual cost of transmission of the data.
 
5    (220 ILCS 50/6)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1606)
6    Sec. 6. Emergency excavation or demolition.
7    (a) Every excavator person who engages in emergency
8excavation or demolition outside of the boundaries of a
9municipality of at least one million persons which operates
10its own one-call notice system shall take all reasonable
11precautions to avoid or minimize interference between the
12emergency work and existing underground utility facilities in
13and near the excavation or demolition area, through the
14State-Wide One-Call Notice System, and shall notify, as far in
15advance as possible, the underground utility facility owners
16or operators of such underground utility facilities in and
17near the emergency excavation or demolition area, through
18JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice System. At a minimum, the
19notice required under this subsection (a) shall provide:
20        (1) the excavator's person's name, address, and (i)
21    phone number at which the excavator with knowledge of the
22    emergency excavation or demolition a person can be reached
23    and (ii) fax number, if available, a fax number and email
24    address;
25        (2) the start date and time of the planned emergency

 

 

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1    excavation or demolition;
2        (3) the address or location at which the emergency
3    excavation or demolition will take place; and
4        (4) the type of work, extent, and description of the
5    area where the emergency excavation or demolition is to
6    occur; and
7        (5) the county and place or places where the emergency
8    excavation or demolition will take place and extent of the
9    work involved.
10    (b) There is a minimum wait time of 2 hours or the date and
11time requested on the notice, whichever is longer, after an
12emergency locate notification request is made through JULIE
13the State-Wide One-Call Notice System. If the conditions at
14the site dictate an earlier start than the date and time on the
15notice required wait time, it is the responsibility of the
16excavator to demonstrate that site conditions warranted this
17earlier start time.
18    (c) Upon notice by the excavator person engaged in
19emergency excavation or demolition, the underground utility
20facility owner or operator owner or operator of an underground
21utility facility in or near the excavation or demolition area
22shall communicate with the excavator person engaged in
23emergency excavation or demolition within 2 hours or by the
24date and time requested on the notice, whichever is longer by:
25        (1) marking the approximate location of underground
26    facilities;

 

 

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1        (2) advising the excavator person excavating that
2    their underground facilities are not in conflict with the
3    emergency excavation or demolition; or
4        (3) notifying the excavator person excavating that the
5    underground utility facility owner or operator shall be
6    delayed in marking because of conditions as referenced in
7    subsection (g) of Section 11 of this Act.
8    (d) The notice by the underground utility facility owner
9or operator to the excavator shall be provided utilizing the
10positive response system, in accordance with Section 5.1, and
11prior to January 1, 2026 may also person engaged in emergency
12excavation or demolition may be provided by phone or phone
13message or by marking the excavation or demolition area. The
14underground utility facility owner or operator has discharged
15the underground utility facility owner's or operator's
16obligation to provide notice under this Section if the
17underground utility facility owner or operator attempts to
18provide notice by positive response or by telephone but is
19unable to do so because the excavator person engaged in the
20emergency excavation or demolition does not answer the his or
21her telephone or does not have an answering machine, or
22answering service, or voicemail to receive the telephone call
23or positive response, in accordance with Section 5.1. If the
24underground utility facility owner or operator attempts to
25provide additional notice by telephone or by facsimile but
26receives a busy signal, that attempt shall not discharge the

 

 

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1underground utility facility owner or operator from the
2obligation to provide notice under this Section.
3    (b) Every person who engages in emergency excavation or
4demolition within the boundaries of a municipality of at least
5one million persons which operates its own one-call notice
6system shall take all reasonable precautions to avoid or
7minimize interference between the emergency work and existing
8underground utility facilities in and near the excavation or
9demolition area, through the municipality's one-call notice
10system, and shall notify, as far in advance as possible, the
11owners and operators of underground utility facilities in and
12near the emergency excavation or demolition area, through the
13municipality's one-call notice system.
14    (e) (c) The reinstallation of traffic control devices
15shall be deemed an emergency for purposes of this Section.
16    (f) (d) An open cut utility locate shall be deemed an
17emergency for purposes of this Section.
18    (g) During emergency situations, where the underground
19utility facility owner or operator has a widespread emergency
20situation beyond the equipment or personnel capabilities to
21facilitate a timely repair or correction of the emergency, the
22underground utility facility owner or operator may utilize
23subcontractors to facilitate the work without a separate
24emergency notice by the subcontractor. However, for the
25purposes of this Act, in such a situation, the underground
26utility facility owner or operator shall be responsible for

 

 

HB5546- 34 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1the actions of the subcontractor, unless the subcontractor has
2obtained the subcontractor's own emergency notice.
3    (h) Emergency notices provided through JULIE shall expire
410 days after the date of the notice.
5(Source: P.A. 96-714, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
6    (220 ILCS 50/7)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1607)
7    Sec. 7. Damage or dislocation.
8    (a) In the event of any damage to or dislocation of any
9underground utility facilities in connection with any
10excavation or demolition, emergency or nonemergency, the
11excavator person responsible for the excavation or demolition
12operations shall immediately notify the affected underground
13utility facility owner or operator and JULIE utility and the
14State-Wide One-Call Notice System and cease excavation in the
15area of the damage when the damaged facility is a threat to
16life or property or if otherwise required by law or, in the
17case of damage or dislocation in connection with any
18excavation or demolition within the boundaries of a
19municipality having a population of at least 1,000,000
20inhabitants that operates its own one-call notice system,
21notify the affected utility and the one-call notice system
22that operates in that municipality.
23    (b) The excavator person responsible for the excavation or
24demolition shall not attempt to repair, clamp, or constrict
25the damaged utility facility unless under the direct

 

 

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1supervision or advisement of the underground utility facility
2owner or operator. At no time shall an excavator a person under
3this Act be required by an underground a utility facility
4owner or operator to attempt to repair, clamp, or constrict a
5damaged utility facility. In the event of any damage to any
6underground utility facility that results in the escape of any
7flammable, toxic, or corrosive gas or liquid, the excavator
8person responsible for the excavation or demolition shall call
99-1-1 and notify authorities of the damage.
10    (c) Owners and operators of underground utility facilities
11that are damaged, and the excavator involved, shall work in a
12cooperative and expeditious manner to repair the affected
13utility.
14    (d) The underground utility facility owner or operator
15shall provide to JULIE a phone number with a dedicated
16extension, if applicable, that can be provided to the
17excavator allowing immediate notification by the excavator to
18the underground utility facility owner or operator of the
19potential damage.
20    (e) At a minimum, the notice required under this Section
21shall provide:
22        (1) a reference to the original excavation or
23    demolition notice, if one exists;
24        (2) the type of facility damaged, if known;
25        (3) the name of the affected underground utility
26    facility owner or operator, if known; and

 

 

HB5546- 36 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1        (4) the location of the damaged facility at the
2    excavation or demolition site.
3(Source: P.A. 96-714, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
4    (220 ILCS 50/7.5 new)
5    Sec. 7.5. Exposed facility.
6    (a) If any previously unmarked facility is exposed during
7excavation or demolition, emergency or nonemergency, the
8excavator responsible for the excavation or demolition
9operations shall immediately notify JULIE.
10    (b) At a minimum, the notice required under this Section
11shall provide:
12        (1) a reference to the original excavation or
13    demolition notice, if one exists;
14        (2) the type of exposed facility, if known;
15        (3) the name of the affected underground utility
16    facility owner or operator, if known; and
17        (4) the location of the exposed facility at the
18    excavation or demolition site.
 
19    (220 ILCS 50/8)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1608)
20    Sec. 8. Liability or financial responsibility.
21    (a) Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to affect or
22determine the financial responsibility for any operation under
23this Act or liability of any entity or individual person for
24any damages that occur unless specifically stated otherwise.

 

 

HB5546- 37 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1    (b) Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to provide for
2liability or financial responsibility of the Department of
3Transportation, its officers and employees concerning any
4underground utility facility or CATS facility located on
5highway right-of-way by permit issued under the provisions of
6Section 9-113 of the Illinois Highway Code. It is not the
7intent of this Act to change any remedies in law regarding the
8duty of providing lateral support.
9    (c) Neither JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice System
10nor any of its officers, agents, or employees shall be liable
11for damages for injuries or death to persons or damage to
12property caused by acts or omissions in the receipt,
13recording, or transmission of notices locate requests or other
14information in the performance of its duties as JULIE the
15State-Wide One-Call Notice System, unless the act or omission
16was the result of willful and wanton misconduct.
17    (d) Any residential property owner who fails to comply
18with any provision of this Act and damages underground utility
19facilities or CATS facilities while engaging in excavation or
20demolition on such residential property shall not be subject
21to a penalty under this Act, but shall be liable for the damage
22caused to the underground utility facility owners or operators
23owner or operator of the damaged underground utility
24facilities or CATS facilities.
25(Source: P.A. 92-179, eff. 7-1-02.)
 

 

 

HB5546- 38 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1    (220 ILCS 50/9)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1609)
2    Sec. 9. Negligence.
3    (a) When it is shown by competent evidence in any action
4for damages to underground utility facilities or CATS
5facilities that such damages resulted from excavation or
6demolition and that the excavator person engaged in such
7excavation or demolition failed to comply with the provisions
8of this Act, that excavator person shall be deemed prima facie
9guilty of negligence.
10    (b) When it is shown by competent evidence in any action
11for damages to excavators persons, material, or equipment
12brought by excavators persons undertaking excavation or
13demolition acting in compliance with the provisions of this
14Act that such damages resulted from the failure of underground
15utility facility owners or and operators of underground
16facilities or CATS facilities to comply with the provisions of
17this Act, those underground utility facility owners or and
18operators shall be deemed prima facie guilty of negligence.
19(Source: P.A. 86-674.)
 
20    (220 ILCS 50/10)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1610)
21    Sec. 10. Record of notice; marking of facilities.
22    (a) Upon notice by the excavator person engaged in
23excavation or demolition, the underground utility facility
24owners or operators person owning or operating underground
25utility facilities in or near the excavation or demolition

 

 

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1area shall cause a written record to be made of the notice and
2shall mark, within 48 hours of receipt of notice or by the dig
3start requested date and time indicated on the notice,
4whichever is later, the approximate locations of such
5facilities so as to enable the excavator person excavating or
6demolishing to establish the location of the underground
7utility facilities.
8    For submerged facilities, when the owner or operator of
9the submerged facilities determines that a proposed excavation
10or demolition which could include anchoring, pile driving,
11dredging, or any other water bottom contact for any means
12performed is in proximity to or in conflict with, submerged
13facilities located under a lake, river, or navigable waterway,
14the owner or operator of the submerged facilities shall
15identify the estimated horizontal route of the submerged
16facilities, within 15 days or by a date and time mutually
17agreed to, using marking buoys, other suitable devices, or GPS
18location data unless directed otherwise by an agency having
19jurisdiction over the waters under which the submerged
20facilities are located.
21    (b) Underground utility facility owners or Owners and
22operators of underground sewer facilities that are located
23outside the boundaries of a municipality having a population
24of at least 1,000,000 inhabitants shall be required to respond
25and mark the approximate location of those sewer facilities
26when the excavator indicates, in the notice required in

 

 

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1Section 4, that the excavation or demolition project will
2exceed a depth of 7 feet. "Depth", in this case, is defined as
3the distance measured vertically from the surface of the
4ground to the top of the sewer facility.
5    (c) Underground utility facility owners or operators of
6Owners and operators of underground sewer facilities that are
7located outside the boundaries of a municipality having a
8population of at least 1,000,000 inhabitants shall be required
9at all times to mark locate the approximate location of those
10sewer facilities when:
11        (1) directional boring is the indicated type of
12    excavation work being performed within the notice;
13        (2) the underground sewer facilities owned are
14    non-gravity, pressurized force mains; or
15        (3) the excavation indicated will occur in the
16    immediate proximity of known underground sewer facilities
17    that are less than 7 feet deep.
18    (d) Underground utility facility owners Owners or
19operators of underground sewer facilities that are located
20outside the boundaries of a municipality having a population
21of at least 1,000,000 inhabitants shall not hold an excavator
22liable for damages that occur to sewer facilities that were
23not required to be marked under this Section, provided that
24prompt notice of known the damage is made to JULIE the
25State-Wide One-Call Notice System and the underground utility
26facility owners or operators utility owner as required in

 

 

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1Section 7.
2    (e) All entities persons subject to the requirements of
3this Act shall plan and conduct their work consistent with
4reasonable business practices.
5        (1) Conditions may exist making it unreasonable to
6    request that locations be marked by the dig start within
7    48 hours or by the requested date and time indicated on the
8    notice, whichever is later. In such situations, the
9    excavator and the underground utility facility owner or
10    operator shall interact in good faith to establish a
11    mutually agreeable date and time for the completion of the
12    request.
13        (2) It is unreasonable to request underground utility
14    facility owners or and operators of underground utility
15    facilities to mark locate all of their facilities in an
16    affected area upon short notice in advance of a large or
17    extensive nonemergency project. , or
18        (3) It is unreasonable to request extensive notices
19    locates in excess of a reasonable excavation or demolition
20    work schedule. , or
21        (4) It is unreasonable to request notices locates
22    under conditions where a repeat request is likely to be
23    made because of the passage of time or adverse job
24    conditions.
25        (5) During periods where the notice volumes or dig
26    site notification areas exceed the historical averages as

 

 

HB5546- 42 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1    determined by the reasonable control measurements for the
2    place or places with less than a 90-day advance notice, an
3    additional advance notice period, up to 2 days, may be
4    applied to only those additional notices submitted by
5    underground utility facility owners or operators or their
6    contractors or subcontractors for work for the underground
7    utility facility owners or operators within the place or
8    places until notice volumes or dig site notification areas
9    fall below the reasonable control measurement for the
10    place or places.
11    (f) Underground utility facility owners or Owners and
12operators of underground utility facilities must reasonably
13anticipate seasonal fluctuations in the number of notices
14locate requests and staff accordingly.
15    Seasonal fluctuations that result in the notice volumes or
16dig site notification areas that exceed the historical
17averages by greater than 15% as calculated by the reasonable
18control measurements within a place or places shall not be
19considered within the reasonable control of underground
20utility facility owners or operators and their locate
21contractors or subcontractors.
22    (g) If an underground utility facility owner or operator a
23person owning or operating underground utility facilities
24receives a notice under this Section but does not own or
25operate any underground utility facilities within the proposed
26excavation or demolition area described in the notice, that

 

 

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1underground utility facility owner or operator, by the dig
2start date and time on the notice person, within 48 hours or by
3the requested date and time indicated on the notice, whichever
4is later, after receipt of the notice, shall so notify the
5excavator who initiated the notice in accordance with Section
65.1, and prior to January 1, 2026, may person engaged in
7excavation or demolition who initiated the notice, unless the
8person who initiated the notice expressly waives the right to
9be notified that no facilities are located within the
10excavation or demolition area. The notification by the owner
11or operator of underground utility facilities to the person
12engaged in excavation or demolition may be provided in any
13reasonable manner including, but not limited to, notification
14in any one of the following ways:
15        (1) by face-to-face communication;
16        (2) by phone or phone message;
17        (3) by facsimile or email;
18        (4) by posting in the excavation or demolition area;
19    or
20        (5) by marking the excavation or demolition area.
21    (h) The underground utility facility owner or operator of
22those facilities has discharged the underground utility
23facility owner's or operator's obligation to provide notice
24under this Section if the underground utility facility owner
25or operator attempts to provide notice utilizing the positive
26response system, in accordance with Section 5.1, and prior to

 

 

HB5546- 44 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1January 1, 2026, by:
2        (1) telephone or by facsimile, if the person has
3    supplied a facsimile number, but is unable to do so
4    because the excavator person engaged in the excavation or
5    demolition does not answer the his or her telephone and or
6    does not have the ability to receive telephone messages;
7        (2) facsimile, if the excavator has supplied a
8    facsimile number and does not have a facsimile machine in
9    operation to receive the facsimile transmission; or
10        (3) email, if the excavator has supplied an email
11    address and the message is electronically undeliverable an
12    answering machine or answering service to receive the
13    telephone call or does not have a facsimile machine in
14    operation to receive the facsimile transmission.
15    If the underground utility facility owner or operator
16attempts to provide additional notice by telephone or by
17facsimile but receives a busy signal, that attempt shall not
18serve to discharge the underground utility facility owner or
19operator of the obligation to provide notice under this
20Section.
21    A person engaged in excavation or demolition may expressly
22waive the right to notification from the owner or operator of
23underground utility facilities that the owner or operator has
24no facilities located in the proposed excavation or demolition
25area. Waiver of notice is only permissible in the case of
26regular or nonemergency locate requests. The waiver must be

 

 

 

HB5546- 45 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1made at the time of the notice to the State-Wide One-Call
2Notice System. A waiver made under this Section is not
3admissible as evidence in any criminal or civil action that
4may arise out of, or is in any way related to, the excavation
5or demolition that is the subject of the waiver.
6    For the purposes of this Act, the following color coding
7shall be used to mark the approximate location of facilities
8by the underground utility facility owners or operators who
9underground facility operators may utilize a combination of
10flags, lathe with colored ribbon, chalk, whiskers, or stakes,
11and paint as when possible on non-paved surfaces and when dig
12site and seasonal conditions warrant. If the approximate
13location of an underground utility facility is marked with
14stakes or other physical means, the following color coding
15shall be employed:
 
16Underground Facility type  Identification Color
17Underground utility facility owner or
18operator or contract locator use only
19Facility Owner or Agent Use Only
20
21Electric Power, Distribution and
22    Transmission........................Safety Red
23Municipal Electric Systems..............Safety Red

 

 

HB5546- 46 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1Gas Distribution and Transmission.......High Visibility Safety Yellow
2Oil Distribution and Transmission.......High Visibility Safety Yellow
3Communication Systems. Safety Alert Orange
4Telephone and Telegraph Systems.........Safety Alert Orange
5Community Antenna Television Systems....Safety Alert Orange
6Water Systems...........................Safety Precaution Blue
7Sewer Systems...........................Safety Green
8Non-potable Water and Slurry Lines......Safety Purple
9
10Excavator Use Only
11
12Temporary Survey........................Safety Pink
13Proposed Excavation.....................
14Safety White (Black when snow is on the ground)
15(Source: P.A. 96-714, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
16    (220 ILCS 50/11)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1611)
17    Sec. 11. Penalties; liability; fund.
18    (a) Every excavator person who, while engaging in
19excavation or demolition, willfully wilfully fails to comply
20with the Act by failing to provide the notice to the
21underground utility facility owners or operators of the

 

 

HB5546- 47 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1underground facilities in and near the excavation or
2demolition area through JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice
3System as required by Section 4, 5, or 6 of this Act shall be
4subject to a penalty of not more than $2,500 up to $5,000 for
5each separate offense and shall be liable for the damage
6caused to the underground utility facility owners or operators
7of the facility. Every excavator person who fails to provide
8notice and willfully fails to comply with other provisions of
9this Act shall be subject to additional penalties of up to
10$2,500 for each separate offense and shall be liable for the
11damage caused to the underground utility facility owners or
12operators of the facility.
13    (b) Every excavator person who has provided the notice to
14the underground utility facility owners or operators of the
15underground utility facilities in and near the excavation or
16demolition area through JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice
17System as required by Section 4 or 6 of this Act, but otherwise
18willfully wilfully fails to comply with this Act, shall be
19subject to a penalty of not more than up to $2,500 for each
20separate offense and shall be liable for the damage caused to
21the underground utility facility owners or operators of the
22facility.
23    (c) Every excavator person who, while engaging in
24excavation or demolition, has provided the notice to the
25underground utility facility owners or operators of the
26underground utility facilities in and near the excavation or

 

 

HB5546- 48 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1demolition area through JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice
2System as required by Section 4 or 6 of this Act, but
3otherwise, while acting reasonably, damages any underground
4utility facilities, shall not be subject to a penalty, but
5shall be liable for the damage caused to the underground
6utility facility owners or operators of the facility provided
7the underground utility facility is properly marked as
8provided in Section 10 of this Act.
9    (d) Every excavator person who provides notice to the
10underground utility facility owners or operators of the
11underground utility facilities through JULIE the State-Wide
12One-Call Notice System as a no show, incomplete, or an
13emergency locate request and the locate request is not a no
14show, incomplete, or an emergency locate request as defined in
15Section 2.6 of this Act shall be subject to a penalty of not
16more than up to $2,500 for each separate offense.
17    (e) Underground utility facility owners or operators
18Owners and operators of underground utility facilities who
19willfully fail to comply with this Act, unless otherwise
20stated in this Section, shall be subject to a penalty of not
21more than $2,500 for each separate offense. A by a failure to
22respond or mark the approximate location of facilities by the
23dig start date and time on the notice an underground utility as
24required by subsection (h) of Section 4, subsection (c) (a) of
25Section 6, or subsection (a) of Section 10 of this Act after
26being notified of planned or emergency excavation or

 

 

HB5546- 49 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1demolition through JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice
2System, shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $2,500
3up to $5,000 for each separate offense.
4    Underground utility facility owners or operators who fail
5to respond through the positive response system to a notice as
6required in subsection (b) of Section 5.1 shall be subject to a
7penalty of up to $100 for each separate reported offense.
8    Underground utility facility owners or operators shall not
9be subject to a penalty where a delay in responding through the
10positive response system is caused by conditions beyond the
11reasonable control of such underground utility facility owners
12or operators.
13    JULIE shall provide to the Illinois Commerce Commission on
14a quarterly basis a tabulation of underground utility facility
15owners or operators that failed to provide a response to the
16positive response system by the dig start date and time on the
17notice.
18    (f) As provided in Section 3 of this Act, all underground
19utility facility owners or operators of underground utility
20facilities who fail to join JULIE the State-Wide One-Call
21Notice System by January 1, 2003 shall be subject to a penalty
22of $100 per day for each separate offense. Every day an
23underground utility facility owner or operator fails to join
24JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice System is a separate
25offense. This subsection (f) does not apply to utilities
26operating facilities exclusively within the boundaries of a

 

 

HB5546- 50 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1municipality with a population of at least 1,000,000 persons.
2    (g) No underground utility facility owner or operator of
3underground utility facilities shall be subject to a penalty
4where a delay in marking or a failure to mark or properly mark
5the location of a facility an underground utility is caused by
6conditions beyond the reasonable control of such underground
7utility facility owner or operator.
8    For the purposes of this Section, beyond the reasonable
9control includes, but is not limited to, notice volumes or dig
10site notification areas that exceed historic averages, by more
11than 15% as calculated using the reasonable control
12measurement, for a particular place or places, severe weather,
13unforeseen mechanical issues, or site conditions. It is the
14responsibility of the underground utility facility owners or
15operators to demonstrate the condition is beyond their
16reasonable control.
17    Each underground utility facility owner or operator shall
18staff in a manner that such underground utility facility owner
19or operator can respond by the dig start date and time on the
20notices within the underground utility facility owner's or
21operator's reasonable control.
22    (h) Any entity that person who is neither an agent,
23employee, or authorized locating contractor of the underground
24utility facility owner or operator of the underground utility
25facility nor an excavator involved in the excavation or
26demolition activity that who removes, alters, or otherwise

 

 

HB5546- 51 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1damages markings, flags, lathe with color ribbon, chalk,
2whiskers, or paint or stakes used to mark the location of
3facilities an underground utility other than during the course
4of the excavation or demolition for which the markings were
5made or before completion of the project shall be subject to a
6penalty up to $1,000 for each separate offense.
7    (i) (Blank).
8    (j) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall have the power
9and jurisdiction to, and shall, enforce the provisions of this
10Act. The Illinois Commerce Commission may impose
11administrative penalties as provided in this Section. The
12Illinois Commerce Commission may promulgate rules and develop
13enforcement policies in the manner provided by the Public
14Utilities Act 83 Ill. Adm. Code 265, in order to implement
15compliance with this Act. When a penalty is warranted, the
16following criteria shall be used in determining the magnitude
17of the penalty:
18        (1) gravity of noncompliance;
19        (2) culpability of offender;
20        (3) history of noncompliance for the 18 months prior
21    to the date of the incident; however, when determining
22    noncompliance non-compliance the alleged violator's roles
23    as underground utility facility operator or owner and the
24    excavator person engaged in excavating shall be treated
25    separately;
26        (4) (blank); ability to pay penalty;

 

 

HB5546- 52 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1        (5) show of good faith of offender;
2        (6) (blank); and ability to continue business; and
3        (7) other special circumstances.
4    (k) There is hereby created in the State treasury a
5special fund to be known as the Illinois Underground Utility
6Facilities Damage Prevention Fund. All penalties recovered by
7the Illinois Commerce Commission in any action under this
8Section shall be paid into the Fund and shall be distributed
9annually as a grant to JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice
10System to be used in safety and informational programs to
11reduce the number of incidents of damage to underground
12utility facilities in Illinois. The distribution shall be made
13during January of each calendar year based on the balance in
14the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention
15Fund as of December 31 of the previous calendar year. In all
16such actions under this Section, the procedure and rules of
17evidence shall conform with the Code of Civil Procedure, and
18with rules of courts governing civil trials.
19    (l) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall establish an
20Advisory Committee consisting of a representative from each of
21the following: utility operator, JULIE, excavator,
22municipality, and the general public, and a nonmunicipal
23public body. The Advisory Committee shall serve as a peer
24review panel for any contested penalties resulting from the
25enforcement of this Act.
26    The members of the Advisory Committee shall be immune,

 

 

HB5546- 53 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1individually and jointly, from civil liability for any act or
2omission done or made in performance of their duties while
3serving as members of such Advisory Committee, unless the act
4or omission was the result of willful and wanton misconduct.
5    (m) If, after the Advisory Committee has considered a
6particular contested penalty and performed its review
7functions under this Act and the Commission's rules, there
8remains a dispute as to whether the Commission should impose a
9penalty under this Act, the matter shall proceed in the manner
10set forth in Article X of the Public Utilities Act, including
11the provisions governing judicial review.
12(Source: P.A. 96-714, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
13    (220 ILCS 50/11.3)
14    Sec. 11.3. Emergency telephone system outages;
15reimbursement. Any excavator person who negligently damages a
16an underground facility or CATS facility causing an emergency
17telephone system outage must reimburse the public safety
18agency that provides personnel to answer calls or to maintain
19or operate an emergency telephone system during the outage for
20the agency's costs associated with answering calls or
21maintaining or operating the system during the outage. For the
22purposes of this Section, "public safety agency" means the
23same as in Section 2.02 of the Emergency Telephone System Act.
24(Source: P.A. 92-149, eff. 1-1-02.)
 

 

 

HB5546- 54 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1    (220 ILCS 50/11.5)
2    Sec. 11.5. Limitation on liability.
3    (a) In joining JULIE the State-Wide One-Call Notice
4System, a municipality's liability, under any membership
5agreement rules and regulations, for the indemnification of
6(i) the entity that is in charge of or managing JULIE the
7System or any officer, agent, or employee of JULIE that entity
8or (ii) an underground utility facility owner or operator of
9JULIE a member of the System or any officer, agent, or employee
10of an underground utility facility owner or operator of JULIE
11a member of the System shall be limited to claims arising as a
12result of the acts or omissions of the municipality or its
13officers, agents, or employees or arising out of the
14operations of the municipality's underground utility
15facilities.
16    (b) Subsection (a) shall not be construed to create any
17additional liability for a municipality in relation to any
18underground utility facility owner or operator of JULIE member
19of the System with which the municipality may have entered
20into a franchise agreement. If a municipality's liability for
21indemnification under a franchise agreement is narrower than
22under this Section, the franchise agreement controls.
23(Source: P.A. 90-481, eff. 8-17-97.)
 
24    (220 ILCS 50/12)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1612)
25    Sec. 12. Noncompliance and enforcement action time frames.

 

 

HB5546- 55 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1No action may be brought by the Illinois Commerce Commission
2under Section 11 of this Act unless commenced within 2 years
3after the date of the alleged violation of this Act. The
4Illinois Commerce Commission shall take no action on an
5alleged violation unless reported by the excavator or the
6underground utility facility owner or operator that is a party
7to the alleged violation. The Illinois Commerce Commission
8shall provide notice of investigation to the parties involved
9in the alleged violation report within 10 days of the receipt
10of the alleged violation report. In accordance with subsection
11(d) of 83 Ill. Adm. Code 265.100, reports shall be submitted no
12later than
45 days after the discovery of the alleged
13violation. In any case, the report shall not be accepted more
14than 2 years from the suspected date of the alleged violation.
15Reports filed after the 45-day requirement shall be considered
16invalid and no action will be taken by the Illinois Commerce
17Commission.
18(Source: P.A. 86-674.)
 
19    (220 ILCS 50/13)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1613)
20    Sec. 13. Mandamus or injunction. Where public safety or
21the preservation of uninterrupted, necessary facilities
22utility service or community antenna television system service
23is endangered by any excavator person engaging in excavation
24or demolition in a negligent or unsafe manner which has
25resulted in or is likely to result in damage to underground

 

 

HB5546- 56 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1utility facilities or CATS facilities or proposing to use
2procedures for excavation or demolition which are likely to
3result in damage to underground utility facilities or CATS
4facilities, or where the underground utility facility owner or
5operator of underground utility facilities or CATS facilities
6endangers an excavator by willfully failing to respond to a
7notice locate request, the underground utility facility owner
8or operator of such facilities or the excavator or the State's
9Attorney or the Illinois Commerce Commission at the request of
10the underground utility facility owner or operator of such
11facilities or the excavator may commence an action in the
12circuit court for the county in which the excavation or
13demolition is occurring or is to occur, or in which the person
14or entity complained of has its his principal place of
15business or resides, for the purpose of having such negligent
16or unsafe excavation or demolition stopped and prevented or to
17compel the marking of underground utilities facilities or CATS
18facilities, either by mandamus or injunction.
19(Source: P.A. 92-179, eff. 7-1-02.)
 
20    (220 ILCS 50/14)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1614)
21    Sec. 14. Home rule. The regulation of underground utility
22facilities and CATS facilities damage prevention, as provided
23for in this Act, is an exclusive power and function of the
24State. A home rule unit may not regulate underground utility
25facilities and CATS facilities damage prevention, as provided

 

 

HB5546- 57 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1for in this Act. All units of local government, including home
2rule units that are not municipalities of more than 1,000,000
3persons, must comply with the provisions of this Act. To this
4extent, this Section is a denial and limitation of home rule
5powers and functions under subsection (h) of Section 6 of
6Article VII of the Illinois Constitution. A home rule
7municipality of more than 1,000,000 persons that operates its
8own One-Call Notice System may regulate underground utility
9facilities and CATS facilities damage prevention.
10(Source: P.A. 99-121, eff. 7-23-15.)
 
11    (220 ILCS 50/2.1 rep.)
12    (220 ILCS 50/2.1.3 rep.)
13    (220 ILCS 50/2.1.4 rep.)
14    (220 ILCS 50/2.1.5 rep.)
15    (220 ILCS 50/2.1.6 rep.)
16    (220 ILCS 50/2.1.9 rep.)
17    (220 ILCS 50/2.1.10 rep.)
18    (220 ILCS 50/2.2 rep.)
19    (220 ILCS 50/2.3 rep.)
20    (220 ILCS 50/2.4 rep.)
21    (220 ILCS 50/2.5 rep.)
22    (220 ILCS 50/2.6 rep.)
23    (220 ILCS 50/2.7 rep.)
24    (220 ILCS 50/2.8 rep.)
25    (220 ILCS 50/2.9 rep.)

 

 

HB5546- 58 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1    (220 ILCS 50/2.10 rep.)
2    (220 ILCS 50/2.11 rep.)
3    (220 ILCS 50/5 rep.)
4    Section 10. The Illinois Underground Utility Facilities
5Damage Prevention Act is amended by repealing Sections 2.1,
62.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.1.9, 2.1.10, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5,
72.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, and 5.
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.

 

 

HB5546- 59 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3    220 ILCS 50/1from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1601
4    220 ILCS 50/2from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1602
5    220 ILCS 50/3from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1603
6    220 ILCS 50/4from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1604
7    220 ILCS 50/4.1 new
8    220 ILCS 50/5.1 new
9    220 ILCS 50/5.2 new
10    220 ILCS 50/5.3 new
11    220 ILCS 50/5.4 new
12    220 ILCS 50/6from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1606
13    220 ILCS 50/7from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1607
14    220 ILCS 50/7.5 new
15    220 ILCS 50/8from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1608
16    220 ILCS 50/9from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1609
17    220 ILCS 50/10from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1610
18    220 ILCS 50/11from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1611
19    220 ILCS 50/11.3
20    220 ILCS 50/11.5
21    220 ILCS 50/12from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1612
22    220 ILCS 50/13from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1613
23    220 ILCS 50/14from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1614
24    220 ILCS 50/2.1 rep.
25    220 ILCS 50/2.1.3 rep.

 

 

HB5546- 60 -LRB103 38732 CES 68869 b

1    220 ILCS 50/2.1.4 rep.
2    220 ILCS 50/2.1.5 rep.
3    220 ILCS 50/2.1.6 rep.
4    220 ILCS 50/2.1.9 rep.
5    220 ILCS 50/2.1.10 rep.
6    220 ILCS 50/2.2 rep.
7    220 ILCS 50/2.3 rep.
8    220 ILCS 50/2.4 rep.
9    220 ILCS 50/2.5 rep.
10    220 ILCS 50/2.6 rep.
11    220 ILCS 50/2.7 rep.
12    220 ILCS 50/2.8 rep.
13    220 ILCS 50/2.9 rep.
14    220 ILCS 50/2.10 rep.
15    220 ILCS 50/2.11 rep.
16    220 ILCS 50/5 rep.