Trent Lott: “The answer is an emphatic ``no.'' The legislation does not impose any federal mandate on the States to modify their…”

“The answer is an emphatic ``no.'' The legislation does not impose any federal mandate on the States to modify their existing one-call programs. The bill does not dictate the content of these programs from Washington. Period. The legislation does, however, encourage States to improve their programs, and it makes funding available for that purpose. To be eligible for the funding, the State programs must meet certain minimum standards, but even those standards are performance-based, not prescriptive. Frankly, legislation that contained a federal mandate for a one-call system was tried a few years ago, and it failed. There were endless fights over how the bill should be written precisely due to the fact that there are indeed 50 differing perceptions. Valid perceptions and experiences which match up to the many programs already in existence. This year, this mistake was avoided with this legislative approach--no mandates. And I am pleased to say that is why it enjoys broad support on both sides of the aisle.”