# Alabama SB205: Underground Damage Prevention Program; One-Call Notification System, further provided for complex or large projects, sunset extended Alabama SB205, Underground Damage Prevention Program; One-Call Notification System, further provided for complex or large projects, sunset extended, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Gerald H. Allen (Republican); status enacted, last action 2026-03-18 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB205-2026rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB205 - State: Alabama - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Underground Damage Prevention Program; One-Call Notification System, further provided for complex or large projects, sunset extended - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-22 - Last action: 2026-03-18, Enacted - Sponsor: Gerald H. Allen (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Telecommunications & Utilities - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 5 (291 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Complaint hearings no longer require attendance: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, complainants are no longer required to attend Underground Damage Prevention Authority board hearings. A complainant or alleged violator may ask to attend a hearing. - Excavators gain more flexible work timing: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, excavators can start before the planned date after every notified operator reports a closed or completed response. Excavators must verify those responses, and all other locate and safety duties still apply. For unfinished excavation or demolition, the renewal-notice day c… - Separate utility requests for project designers: cost, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, design or survey locate requests cannot be used for excavation, and excavation requests cannot serve design or survey work. Design or survey requests must describe the parcel clearly under One-Call policies. They must include the submitter’s name, address, telephone numbe… - Crews face added utility safety checks: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, utility marks show approximate location, not depth. Crews crossing a facility within the tolerance zone must use reasonable care to find its depth. That zone covers the facility plus 18 inches on each side. After the required notice and operator response, finding an unmar… - Digging rules reach underwater construction: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, excavation rules cover digging by machine, explosives, or hand, plus dredging, marine construction, and underwater work. Specified hand-digging work by property owners, member operators, locate responders, and people replacing above-ground structures is excluded. Qualifyi… - Large excavation projects require coordinated planning: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, projects qualify for special planning if initially planned beyond 40 working days or using at least five crews at once. Projects also qualify when multiple locate requests cover the same activity and area within one working-day notification period, during the first reques… - Road agencies gain limited damage protection: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, public agencies are shielded from liability for underground-facility damage during routine roadway maintenance in specified cases. The facility must be in the public right-of-way and installed against agency requirements or its installation permit. Both conditions must ap… - Utilities keep using One-Call through 2037: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, Alabama underground-facility operators must continue participating in and using One-Call through January 1, 2037. Electrical operators with underground trench miles below 5% of total line miles are exempt from membership costs until they exceed 5%. Exempt operators must r… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Gerald H. Allen (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-05 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 105 | 0 | | | 2026-03-05 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 783 | pass | 105 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 470 | pass | 27 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 27 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Allen motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 469 | pass | 27 | 0 | | ## Actions (22) - 2026-03-18: Enacted (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Signature Requested (House) - 2026-03-10: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Third Reading in Second House (House) - 2026-03-05: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 783 (House) - 2026-03-05: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2026-02-25: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2026-02-19: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Transportation and Energy 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Allen motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 469 (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 470 (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Engrossed (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure (House) - 2026-02-19: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2026-02-05: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Transportation and Energy 1st Amendment (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Energy (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB205-int.pdf) - Engrossed: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB205-eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB205-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for misuse of personal voter information; created (enacted) - SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 (enacted) - SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require indigent candidates to submit documentation for fee exemption (enacted) - HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for violations provided for (enacted) - SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitation purposes prohibited; redaction of certain information relating to financial tr… (enacted) - SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB205-int.pdf) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB205-eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB205-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB67-2026rs) - [SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB154-2026rs) - [SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require in…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB165-2026rs) - [HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for vio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB317-2026rs) - [SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitatio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB272-2026rs) - [SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB190-2026rs) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB205-2026rs (as of 2026-10-16).