BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                      



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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SCR 20
          Author:   DeSaulnier (D)
          Amended:  As introduced
          Vote:     21

           
          WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE


           SUBJECT  :    California Safe Digging Month

           SOURCE  :     Underground Service Alert of Northern 
          California and
                          Nevada


           DIGEST  :    This resolution proclaims April 2011 as 
          California Safe Digging Month.

           ANALYSIS  :    This resolution makes the following 
          legislative findings:

          1. California has two "One Call Centers" that provide a 
             free and effective damage prevention service for 
             Californians: Underground Service Alert of Northern 
             California and Nevada and Underground Service Alert of 
             Southern California.  The One Call Centers, in 
             cooperation with California's public and private 
             utilities, provide an effective damage prevention 
             service that protects California's citizens, 
             communities, public services, environment, and 
             underground facilities at no cost to the caller. 

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          2. The 811 "Call Before You Dig" program is a vital public 
             education and awareness program dealing with the safety 
             of subsurface excavation, and education is the key to 
             promoting safe digging practices.

          3. Utility lines are often buried only a few inches 
             underground, making them easy to strike and cause damage 
             and harm even during shallow excavation projects, and 
             more than 200,000 underground utility lines are struck 
             each year in the United States and approximately 37 
             percent of all United States digging damages result from 
             not calling 811 before digging.  Undesired consequences, 
             such as service interruption, outages, damage to the 
             environment, personal injury, and death, are risked by 
             failing to call 811 before digging or safely mark 
             utility lines. 

          4. The free notification service provided by Underground 
             Service Alert of Northern California and Nevada and 
             Underground Service Alert of Southern California has 
             dramatically reduced the number of accidents causing 
             property damage, personal injury, and interruption of 
             vital services.

           FISCAL EFFECT :    Fiscal Com.:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  3/15/11)

          Underground Service Alert of Northern California and Nevada 
          (source)


          JJA:mw  3/15/11   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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