Existing law regulates excavations around subsurface installations, which are defined as any underground pipeline, conduit, duct, wire, or other structure, excepting certain nonpressurized lines, including sewerlines. Existing law generally requires an operator of a subsurface installation to become a member of, participate in, and share in the costs of a regional notification center. In this context, a "regional notification center" is a nonprofit association or organization of operators of subsurface installations that provide advance warning of excavations or other work close to subsurface installations for the purpose of protecting those installations. Existing law prescribes civil penalties for violations of provisions relating to subsurface installations in amounts not to exceed $10,000 for negligent violations and not to exceed $50,000 for knowing and willful violations. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General, or the state or local agency that issued an excavation permit, to bring actions for the enforcement of these penalties. Existing law also authorizes other agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission, to enforce these provisions in connection with specified activities and jurisdictions, and with regard to these enforcement activities, existing law requires the deposit of any penalties collected into the Safe Energy Infrastructure and Excavation Fund. Moneys in that fund are available upon appropriation by the Legislature for specified purposes, including education and outreach.
California SB 297 (20212022) — Subsurface installations: penalties.
Existing law regulates excavations around subsurface installations, which are defined as any underground pipeline, conduit, duct, wire, or other structure, excepting certain nonpressurized lines, including sewerlines. Existing law generally requires an operator of a subsurface installation to become a member of, participate in, and share in the costs of a regional notification center. In this context, a "regional notification center" is a nonprofit association or organization of operators of subsurface installations that provide advance warning of excavations or other work close to subsurface installations for the purpose of protecting those installations. Existing law prescribes civil penalties for violations of provisions relating to subsurface installations in amounts not to exceed $10,000 for negligent violations and not to exceed $50,000 for knowing and willful violations. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General, or the state or local agency that issued an excavation permit, to bring actions for the enforcement of these penalties. Existing law also authorizes other agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission, to enforce these provisions in connection with specified activities and jurisdictions, and with regard to these enforcement activities, existing law requires the deposit of any penalties collected into the Safe Energy Infrastructure and Excavation Fund. Moneys in that fund are available upon appropriation by the Legislature for specified purposes, including education and outreach.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
2021-03-11 From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 14. Noes 0. Page 405.) (March 8). amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2021-03-15 Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD. amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee
2021-03-15 Set for hearing March 23.
2021-03-24 From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 590.) (March 23). amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2021-03-25 Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee
2021-04-06 Set for hearing April 19.
2021-04-19 From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8. committee-passage, reading-2
2021-04-20 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-1, reading-2
2021-05-03 Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 1006.) Ordered to the Assembly. passage, reading-1, reading-3
2021-05-03 In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. reading-1
2021-05-13 Referred to Com. on JUD. referral-committee
2021-06-08 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee
2021-06-30 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 30). committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2021-07-01 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-1, reading-2
2021-08-19 Read third time and amended. amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-3
2021-08-19 Ordered to third reading.
2021-08-23 Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 65. Noes 0. Page 2473.) Ordered to the Senate. passage, reading-1, reading-3
2021-08-26 In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2021-08-30 Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2212.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2021-09-03 Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2021-10-08 Approved by the Governor. executive-signature
2021-10-08 Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 726, Statutes of 2021. became-law
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/d9f52be5-58aa-43dc-89cf-f98d047eb406. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).
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