# Delaware SB 275: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE UNDERGROUND UTILITY DAMAGE PREVENTION AND SAFETY ACT. Delaware SB 275, AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE UNDERGROUND UTILITY DAMAGE PREVENTION AND SAFETY ACT., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) Senate bill sponsored by Nicole Poore (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-07-13 (Signed by Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB275-153 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Delaware SB 275 - State: Delaware - Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE UNDERGROUND UTILITY DAMAGE PREVENTION AND SAFETY ACT. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-04-09 - Last action: 2026-07-13, Signed by Governor - Sponsor: Nicole Poore (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 2 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (76 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 12 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Utility customers cannot be charged penalties: benefit, low. Utility owners and operators cannot recover costs associated with their civil penalties through customer rates. Customers do not pay those penalty costs through their utility bills. - Routine farm cultivation avoids digging penalties: benefit, low. Routine surface cultivation for farming, including tilling, plowing, and disking, is exempt from the law’s penalties. The exemption applies only when the work does not infringe on public rights-of-way or easements. - Excavators gain protection from damage bills: benefit, low. A utility that unlawfully fails to join the center cannot recover damage costs caused by an excavator’s failure to notify that nonmember. This does not limit the excavator’s other rights. When a utility fails to provide required information, liability for damage to its lines requires proof of negli… - Damage claims against notice center limited: cost, low. Utilities Service Protection Center of Delmarva operates Delaware’s approved excavation notification center, with 811 or toll-free access. It runs the shared response system, assigns notice numbers, and keeps notice records for at least 6 years. Required information for regulated sites is transmitt… - Digging violations carry large civil penalties: cost, low. A first offense can bring a $100–$1,000 civil penalty; each later similar offense can bring $200–$5,000 per violation. Separate maximums apply to utility owners, operators, business-licensed excavators, and the notification center. These maximums are $1 million for a violation causing death, $500,0… - Excavators must report damage immediately: cost, low. Excavators must protect and support utility lines, then safely fill around them. Work that does not run alongside a line requires hand digging within 2 feet on either side. Damage must be reported immediately. Dangerous releases or threats to life, health, or property require calls to 911 and the u… - Stricter safety steps for excavators: cost, low. Excavators must use careful methods, preserve markings, request replacement markings, and report changes in location, scope, or duration. Clear signs of an unmarked line require a second notice; the utility or locating agent has 2 hours to respond. Test holes are required for hazardous or flammable… - Utilities must make pipes easier to find: cost, low. Utilities must train employees and contractors who locate lines and follow applicable installation, maintenance, locating, and recordkeeping rules. New or fully replaced nonmetallic pipes in public rights-of-way need tracer wire or another detection method. They also need an access point inside a p… - Advance notice rules for digging: mixed, low. Excavators must give notice 3–12 business days before work, with contact details, email, location, start date, and scope. Tickets last 12 business days from transmission and cover at most 1,320 continuous feet; separate parcels need separate tickets. Work must wait for every involved utility owner’… - Designers get records but must coordinate: mixed, low. Designers must use design tickets, record design communications, and seek utility information; utilities must answer within 15 business days. Utilities may supply maps or digital records and decide whether design requests also need ground markings. Drawings must identify utility types and owners, g… - Unsafe digging faces orders or training: mixed, low. The Attorney General handles death or structure-damage cases; the Public Service Commission handles other violations and chooses whether to act. Utility owners and operators can also seek court orders stopping unlawful or unsafe work that threatens injury or damage. The Commission can replace a pen… - Utilities must locate and mark lines: mixed, low. Utility owners and operators must join the notification center and update contact and facility details within 5 business days of changes. They must respond within 3 business days, including when they have no affected lines. Lines at risk within 5 feet of proposed work must be marked within 24 inche… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Nicole Poore (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Franklin D. Cooke (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kyra L. Hoffner (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-06-10 | Senate | Passed (2/3 required) | pass | 20 | 0 | | | 2026-06-09 | House | Passed (SM required) | pass | 35 | 0 | | | 2026-05-05 | Senate | Passed (SM required) | pass | 21 | 0 | | ## Actions (12) - 2026-07-13: Signed by Governor (Governor) - 2026-06-10: Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT (Senate) - 2026-06-09: Passed By House. Votes: 35 YES 6 ABSENT (House) - 2026-06-09: Amendment HA 1 to SB 275 - Passed In House by Voice Vote (House) - 2026-05-21: Amendment HA 1 to SB 275 - Introduced and Placed With Bill (Senate) - 2026-05-20: Reported Out of Committee (Transportation) in House with 9 On Its Merits (House) - 2026-05-06: Assigned to Transportation Committee in House (House) - 2026-05-05: Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES (Senate) - 2026-05-05: Amendment SA 1 to SB 275 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES (Senate) - 2026-05-04: Amendment SA 1 to SB 275 - Introduced and Placed With Bill (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Introduced and Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate (Senate) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-04-09: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=143062&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related bills - HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITIONIST LICENSURE ACT. (passed house) - HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO SUPPORT POOR PERSONS. (signed) - SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. (vetoed) - HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY CONSUMERS. (vetoed) - SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS. (vetoed) - HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING FOAM AND EQUIPMENT. (failed) ## Sources - [Current (HTML)](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=143062&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related - [HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HS1FORHB449-153) - [HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB357-153) - [SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB279-153) - [HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB393-153) - [SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB231-153) - [HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB356-153) - [Delaware bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware/bills) - [Delaware state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB275-153 (as of 2026-10-12).