The corporation must carry out a set of one-call notification system duties, including registration, standards, toll-free phone system setup, vendor selection, cost-sharing, public education, complaint review, dispute help, and design-standard review.
Sec. 251.060. DUTIES OF CORPORATION. The corporation shall develop and implement processes to: (1) maintain a registration of: (A) notification centers as provided by Section 251.101(a)(3); (B) operators who elect to convert facilities to Class A facilities under Section 251.005(a); or (C) operators who elect to become Class A underground facility operators under Section 251.005(b); (2) establish minimum technical standards used by notification centers; (3) establish a statewide toll-free telephone number to be used by excavators that incorporates the use of a call router system that routes calls to the notification centers on a pro rata basis; (4) oversee the bid process and select the vendor for the statewide toll-free telephone number; (5) oversee the bid process and select the vendor for the call router system; (6) determine before May 1 of each year the cost-sharing between the notification centers of: (A) the toll-free telephone number; and (B) the call router system prescribed by Section 251.102(4); (7) develop public service announcements to educate the public about statewide one-call notification and its availability; (8) establish a format for information transfer among notification centers other than high speed data transmission, if appropriate; (9) on a complaint concerning charges, investigate and determine appropriate charges; (10) recommend a civil penalty against a notification center that does not meet the requirements of this chapter of not less than $1,000 or more than $5,000 for each violation; (11) refer the recommended penalty to the attorney general, who shall institute a suit in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover the penalty; (12) assist in dispute resolution among notification centers or between a notification center and an operator; (13) assist any operator who encounters difficulty in joining a notification center; and (14) review and study design standards for the placement of underground facilities throughout this state. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 18.17(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1999.