SB 1083 Summary

• Enacts the "MISS DIG Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act" to prevent damage to underground utilities by requiring excavators to notify facility owners before digging or blasting.

• Requires excavators to provide dig notices to MISS DIG call system 72 hours to 14 days before excavation, with facility owners required to mark facility locations using standardized color codes within specified timeframes.

• Establishes soft excavation requirements in "caution zones" (48 inches from marked facilities) and allows power equipment use only in "safe zones" (48+ inches from marks) without establishing facility location.

• Creates enforcement mechanisms including criminal penalties (up to 1 year imprisonment and $5,000 fine) for knowingly damaging facilities without notification, and civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation administered by Michigan Public Service Commission.

• Provides liability protections for compliant excavators regarding improperly marked or unmarked facilities, and farm operators conducting normal farming operations outside public rights-of-way, while allowing facility owners to recover damages in civil actions.