APCA is urging Congress to advance pipeline safety legislation containing critical underground utility damage prevention provisions to help protect America’s workers, communities, and buried infrastructure.&nbsp;
On April 29, the U.S. Senate <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/press/rep/release/chairman-cruz-pipeline-safety-act-passage-signals-key-step-toward-american-energy-dominance/" target="_blank">passed the APCA-supported PIPELINE Safety Act</a> (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2975" target="_blank">S. 2975</a>), which includes language (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/s2975/BILLS-119s2975es.pdf#page=67" target="_self">Section 211</a>) encouraging states to implement stronger underground utility damage prevention programs and improve enforcement of one-call laws.&nbsp;
The House is currently considering two separate pipeline safety measures containing similar damage prevention provisions. <a href="https://www.americanpipeline.org/advocacy/position-papers/apca-letter-to-house-ti-committee-in-support-of-pipes-act-of-2025" target="_self">APCA celebrated</a> the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee’s September 17, 2025, passage of the bipartisan PIPES Act of 2025 (H.R. 5301) and excavation damage prevention language in Section 18 of the measure. The House Energy and Commerce Committee must also pass H.R. 5301 out of committee in order for it to advance to a House floor vote. In addition, the House Energy and Commerce’s energy subcommittee held a March 4 hearing on its own pipeline safety bill, the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026, which contains <a href="https://www.americanpipeline.org/advocacy/position-papers/apca-letter-to-house-energy-and-commerce-on-phmsa-pipeline-safety-program-reauthorization-and-damage-prevention-language" target="_self">APCA-supported</a> safety language in Section 9 of the draft legislative text.&nbsp;
These proposals would help strengthen state damage prevention programs, improve coordination among excavators, utility operators and locators, and reduce costly and dangerous underground utility strikes.
The need for action is urgent. According to Common Ground Alliance data, buried utility lines are damaged nearly 200,000 times annually—approximately once every three minutes—causing more than $30 billion in economic damage each year while disrupting communities and threatening public safety.&nbsp;
Congress has an important opportunity this year to advance meaningful underground damage prevention reforms as part of pipeline safety legislation and/or broader surface transportation reauthorization policymaking.
Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to support passage of pipeline safety legislation containing strong underground damage prevention provisions. Please share this grassroots message with industry colleagues and stakeholders: <a href="https://mstr.app/3454cd0f-589e-4b86-8106-210712fc0cbf" target="_blank">https://mstr.app/3454cd0f-589e-4b86-8106-210712fc0cbf</a>&nbsp;

Tell the U.S. House to Pass Underground Utility Damage Prevention Legislation

I am a member of the American Pipeline Contractors Association (APCA) and build and maintain America’s critical underground energy and utility infrastructure.

I am writing to urge you to support pipeline safety legislation containing strong underground utility damage prevention provisions, including Section 18 of the bipartisan PIPES Act of 2025 (H.R. 5301) passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee in September, and Section 9 of the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026 currently awaiting introduction and action before the House Energy and Commerce Committee following a March 4 Energy subcommittee hearing.

Underground utility damage remains one of the most significant public safety and infrastructure challenges facing our industry and communities. According to Common Ground Alliance data, buried utility lines are damaged nearly 200,000 times annually—approximately once every three minutes—causing injuries, service disruptions and more than $30 billion in economic damage each year.

As federal investments accelerate energy pipeline, broadband, electric grid, and water infrastructure construction, it is critical that Congress strengthen policies that help prevent excavation damage and improve coordination among excavators, utility operators and locating professionals.

Incentivizing strong state damage prevention policies will help protect workers, communities, critical infrastructure and taxpayer investments while reducing costly project delays and service interruptions.

That’s why APCA applauds the U.S. Senate for passing the APCA-supported PIPELINE Safety Act (S. 2975) on April 29, which includes strong underground utility damage prevention language in Section 211 of the bill.

If either House measure advances through the Energy and Commerce Committee and passes the full House, a six corner conference of House and Senate committee leaders will need to reconcile differences with the Senate-passed PIPELINE Safety Act before final passage.

Please support passage of pipeline safety legislation containing meaningful underground utility damage prevention reforms this Congress.