Governor DeWine signs bill surrounding enhanced excavation standards into law
Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 227 into law on Tuesday, March 10, marking a step towards enhanced safety standards for excavation.
Pictured above is Governor DeWine alongside lobbyists from Byers Minton & Associates and members of Ohio811 staff and board members.
The bill looks to strengthen requirements that the state be notified before any digging takes place. This is all in an effort to reduce the number of gas leaks created by supposed human error.
Through the bill, anyone looking to dig would have to notify the state at least two working days in advance, which does not include the day of the notification.
Notification would also need to be given not more than 16 calendar days before starting construction work in the area.
The new law will also tighten exemptions for those who need to call Ohio811, a hotline and free service that homeowners, businesses and facility owners can call to check for service lines before digging commences, aiming to prevent accidents.
"House Bill 227 is a testament to what can be achieved when industry stakeholders collaborate for the collective good of Ohio," said Roger Lipscomb, Executive Director and President of Ohio811 in a news release shared with 21 News.
Lipscomb continues," In addition to providing additional support for the increasing volume of excavations in Ohio, this law enhances accountability to our damage prevention statutes, reducing risks to public safety, critical underground utility infrastructure and the environment."
Ohio811 can be contacted by calling 1-800-362-2764 or 811.
Those looking to dig under the new law would narrow some exemptions for shallow work, like some road work. However, it still allows for digging up to one foot deep without calling ahead, in some cases.
Furthermore, the bill updates requirements that accidental damages to underground utilities would need to be reported to Ohio811.
House Bill 227 is sponsored by State Representative Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana) and State Representative Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe).
Additionally, the release states that the legislation is a result of efforts by the industry focused on underground damage prevention, alongside the Ohio Underground Damage Prevention Coalition (OUDPC).
The law will go into effect on June 9, 2026.
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