SR229.html

Creating the Senate Study Committee for the Reduction of Underground Utility Interruptions; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, many Georgia residents and businesses have been adversely affected by utility outages and road traffic interruptions caused by numerous recent utility line cuts by construction and installation crews; and

WHEREAS, utility line cuts create the potential for a substantial public safety risk in addition to business interruption, traffic congestion, and lost hours of economic productivity; and

WHEREAS, in many instances, utility facilities were not accurately depicted or updated on available maps.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that there is created the Senate Study Committee for the Reduction of Underground Utility Interruptions to be composed of ten members to be appointed by the President of the Senate. Members shall be appointed from both public and private entities, including, but not limited to:
(1) Three senators;
(2) One representative from the Utilities Protection Center;
(3) One representative from the Georgia Power Company and one representative from the Atlanta Gas Light Company;
(4) One representative from the Georgia GIS Data Clearinghouse;
(5) One representative from the Open Geodata Consortium (OGETA); and
(6) One civil engineer from the construction industry and one representative from the commercial real estate industry.
The President of the Senate shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any actions or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances authorized for legislative members of interim legislative committees but shall receive the same for not more than five days. Members of the committee who are not legislative members shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee and shall not be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members of the committee. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the legislative branch of government. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such report shall be made to the Governor and General Assembly on or before November 1, 2001. The committee shall stand abolished on November 1, 2001.