HB 1169
relative to notification waiting periods to the underground utility damage prevention laws.
Official record at gencourt.state.nh.us ↗Open this bill in the searchable view → · Follow this bill by RSS
On the record
Quoted from the General Court bill status page, not worked out from the docket.
| Status | HOUSE |
|---|---|
| In the House | INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE |
| Introduced | 1/7/2026 |
| Floor date | 2/5/2026 |
| LSR number | 2466 |
| Local government impact | no |
| Committee code | H24 |
Where it stands
House: INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE
Every floor vote on this bill was a voice or division vote, so there is no record of how individual legislators voted.
A bill goes on the consent calendar when the committee vote was unanimous or nearly so, and any members who dissented did not object to placing it there. It then passes without floor debate. Ten members may file a petition to pull a bill off the consent calendar and have it debated and voted on separately.
Sponsors
Labrie, Brian(R) Hills 2, Cole, Brian(R) Hills 26, Drago, Mike(R) Rock 4, Ouellet, Mike(R) Coos 3, Potucek, John(R) Rock 13
Prime sponsor in bold. From the General Court sponsor file.
What happened
Every action recorded in the official docket, in order. Each line ends with the journal or calendar that recorded it; where we have the document, that citation links to it.
- January 7, 2026Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Science, Technology and Energy
- January 20, 2026Public Hearing: 01/20/2026 10:30 am GP 229
- January 20, 2026Executive Session: 01/20/2026 10:30 am GP 229
- January 26, 2026Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 01/20/2026 (Vote 14-0; CC)
- February 5, 2026Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 02/05/2026
Votes
Roll call tallies and individual votes from the General Court roll call files. Presiding, excused and absent are shown separately: one member presides over each House roll call and does not vote except to break a tie.
Inexpedient to Legislate
Decided on a voice vote. Only the outcome was recorded — there is no count of how any member voted.
Committee reports
Reproduced from the House Calendar in the committee’s own words.
Committee — INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE
This bill sought to loosen three requirements in the DigSafe program, regarding excavation and underground utility lines: reducing the period for the utility to mark underground lines from 72 to 48 hours; removing six state holidays from the time excepted for marking; and increasing the time for excavation from 30 days to one year. The committee heard strong opposition to these changes from DigSafe, the New England Connectivity & Telecommunications Association, Eversource, and Unitil. The Department of Energy also raised significant concerns. Reducing the period to mark lines would create a hardship for the utility, especially during a time in which there is a surge of requests. Unitil added that they would likely have to add staff to meet the 48hour window, which could lead to increased rates. Removing the six holidays would force the utilities to have crews marking lines on holidays, again leading to increased costs and rates. Because the marks are not permanent, changing the time for excavation from 30 days to one year could result in digging occurring when the original marks have disappeared or have become obscured, so that excavators are “digging blind.” It’s also possible that utility lines shift over the course of a year, so that the marks are no longer accurate. Finally, the proposed changes would go against the prevailing trends in other states, which are to tighten requirements in the name of safety. Furthermore, because many contractors that operate in New Hampshire also operate in other states, the proposed changes could cause confusion. The DigSafe program works well to protect utility lines from damage and the consequent service interruptions, and the committee sees no reason to change it. Vote 14-0.
Hearings and recordings
Recordings are the General Court’s own, on YouTube. Start times are estimates unless stated otherwise, and the player opens early.
- January 20, 2026 at 10:30Science, Technology and Energy public hearing recording 1:04:12–2:06:04, about 62 min (estimated)
- January 20, 2026 at 10:30Science, Technology and Energy executive session recording (start time not identified)
- February 5, 2026House floor debate recording (start time not identified)
Page generated 2026-09-03 from data published by the New Hampshire General Court. Granite Record is an independent project, not affiliated with the General Court. The official record always takes precedence. Corrections: [email protected]