HB5546 Summary

• Consolidates all definitions into Section 2 of the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act and implements a "positive response system" requiring underground utility facility owners or operators to respond to excavation notices through JULIE by the dig start date beginning January 1, 2026.

• Establishes new procedures for planning design requests, joint meet notifications for large projects, and geographic information system data sharing to improve coordination between excavators and utility operators.

• Modifies notification requirements for excavators, including pre-marking areas of excavation, providing notice 2-10 days in advance, and submitting additional information such as directional boring indicators, excavation depth, and project owner identity.

• Adds penalties of up to $250 per week for utility operators failing to respond through the positive response system on more than 10% of weekly required responses for 4 or more consecutive weeks, with 65-day deadline for submitting alleged violations to the Illinois Commerce Commission.

• Requires all nonconductive service laterals installed on or after January 1, 2026 to be locatable by electromagnetic or equally effective means and creates enforcement timelines and public reporting requirements for the Illinois Commerce Commission.