House Bill 454 Summary

• Creates an 11-member Idaho Damage Prevention Board within the Division of Building Safety, appointed by the governor, with members representing cities, counties, highway districts, utility companies, excavators, contractors, and agricultural interests.

• Establishes a Damage Prevention Board Fund, funded by fees collected from underground facility owners each time they receive excavation notices, with civil penalties from violations supporting educational programming.

• Requires excavators to provide 2-10 business days' written notice before excavation through a one-number notification service, and requires underground facility owners to mark locatable facilities within 2 business days.

• Authorizes the board to review complaints of alleged violations, conduct hearings, and impose civil penalties up to $1,000 for first violations, $5,000 for subsequent violations within 18 months, and treble damages for third or subsequent violations causing facility damage.

• Assigns liability for repair costs to the party responsible for damage and clarifies that excavators and facility owners must report damage and downtime data to the board in accordance with established rules.