Arizona Senate Bill 1137: Modernizing Arizona’s 811 System to Improve Safety and Project Efficiency

Arizona’s construction and utility sectors rely on the 811 Call Before You Dig system to keep workers safe and projects moving. However, Arizona’s 811 statute has not been meaningfully updated in more than a decade despite rapid population growth, record infrastructure investment, and a sharp increase in excavation activity.

Arizona Senate Bill 1137 (SB 1137) addresses these challenges by modernizing the state’s 811 framework to reflect how projects are built today. Developed through a year-long, stakeholder-driven process, SB 1137 represents a balanced approach that improves safety, coordination, and predictability for contractors, utilities, and communities across Arizona.

Why SB 1137 Matters to Arizona Contractors

Through AZAGC’s Utility Infrastructure Committee, contractors, utilities, locators, municipalities, and regulators worked collaboratively—using the nationally recognized Common Ground Alliance framework—to identify where Arizona’s 811 system was falling short and how it could be improved .

The result is a bill focused on three targeted modernization reforms that address the most common causes of delays, miscommunication, and safety risk in underground construction.

Key Provisions of Arizona Senate Bill 1137

1. Large Project Coordination

SB 1137 establishes a clear definition for large projects and creates a structured coordination meeting process before excavation begins.

What this means for contractors:

• Better planning for long, linear, or phased projects
• Fewer repeated locate requests
• Reduced scheduling conflicts and downtime
• Improved predictability in the field

1. Interactive Positive Response System

The bill modernizes communication by creating a two-way digital positive response system within Arizona 811.

What this means for contractors:

• Real-time visibility into utility responses
• Clear documentation of locate status and updates
• Fewer miscommunications and last-minute delays
• A single, accountable communication platform

This system uses technology Arizona 811 already has the capacity to deploy, making implementation both practical and cost-effective

1. Mandatory White Lining

SB 1137 requires excavators to pre-mark excavation areas (white lining) before requesting locates.

What this means for contractors:

• More accurate utility markings
• Reduced over-marking and unnecessary locates
• Improved jobsite safety
• Greater efficiency for both excavators and facility operators\

The Bottom Line

Arizona Senate Bill 1137 is not about placing new burdens on any one stakeholder—it is about modernizing a critical public safety system so it functions reliably in today’s construction environment.

These reforms were developed collaboratively, reflect national best practices, and provide the tools needed to improve safety, accountability, and coordination across Arizona’s underground infrastructure network.