Sunshine 811
is looking for an Enforcer
By Scott Jenkins,
NUCA of Florida
Lobbyist, Carlton
Fields
Sunshine 811, the not-for-profit
tasked with promoting and
facilitating excavation safety and
underground facility damage
prevention in Florida, recently
held their Annual Strategy
meeting from August 14-16 in
Daytona Beach, FL. Mike Woodall
with John Woody Inc. represented
NUCA FL at the meetings. These
meetings were the opportunity
for their utility members and
committee members to provide
input on the administrative,
financial and legislative/advocacy
goals of the organization. One
of the chief issues discussed
was upcoming legislation for the
2020 Florida Regular Legislative
Session.
During the 2019 Regular Session,
Sunshine 811 pushed HB 263 by
Rep. Bobby Payne (R-Palatka)
and its companion bill, SB 848 by
Sen. Doug Broxson (R-Pensacola).
The bill did a number of things
including but not limited to:
■ ■
12
changing number of days’
notice from two to three that
an excavator must provide
DITCHMEN • SEPTEMBER 2019
to free-access notification
system before beginning any
excavation or demolition;
■ ■ creating an underground facility
damage prevention review
panel;
■ ■ creating civil penalties which
review panel may assess; and,
■ ■ providing penalties for removal
or damage of permanent
underground facility markers.
The bill was not heard by any
committees of reference because
legislative staff pointed out to
the organization that because
Sunshine 811 is not a constitutional
entity, it does not have authority to
enforce or levy fines. The House
Energy & Utilities Subcommittee
did have a workshop on damage
prevention that included
presentations by affected groups
on the subject. NUCA of Florida
President Jordan Lee testified
before the Subcommittee.