MN SF3863

Defines "locate" as an approximate horizontal location of existing or abandoned underground facilities determined using Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers guidelines (CI/ASCE 38-02).

Requires utility operators to be certified through nationally-accredited programs to train locators with established minimum oversight and benchmark standards.

Mandates quarterly reports from notification centers to utility operators including notification counts by type, percentage of normal tickets with electronic status, and damages categorized by cause.

Requires persons planning excavation to conduct preliminary design meetings and preconstruction meetings with affected facility operators to communicate project scope, timeline, and coordinate utility relocation.

Prohibits excavation contracts from requiring excavators to bear costs of utility work downtime when the excavator is not at fault; makes utility owners responsible for delay costs up to civil penalty amounts.