(a) Any person who violates the requirements of Code Section 25-9-6 and whose subsequent excavating or blasting damages utility facilities shall be strictly liable for:

(1) Any cost incurred by the facility owner or operator in repairing or replacing its damaged facilities; and

(2) Any injury or damage to persons or property resulting from damaging the utility facilities.

(b) Any such person shall also indemnify the affected facility owner or operator against all claims, if any, for personal injury, property damage, or service interruptions resulting from damaging the utility facilities. Such obligation to indemnify shall not apply to any county, city, town, or state agency to the extent permitted by law.

(c) In addition to the other provisions of this Code section, a professional licensing board shall be authorized to suspend or revoke any professional or occupational license, certificate, or registration issued to a person pursuant to Title 43 whenever such person violates the requirements of Code Section 25-9-6 or 25-9-8.

(d) Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Code section shall not apply to any person who shall commence, perform, or engage in blasting or in excavating with mechanized equipment on any tract or parcel of land in any county in this state if the facility owner or operator to which notice was given respecting such blasting or excavating with mechanized equipment as prescribed in subsection (a) of Code Section 25-9-6 has failed to comply with Code Section 25-9-7 or has failed to become a member of the utilities protection center as required by Code Section 25-9-5.

(e) The commission shall enforce the provisions of this chapter. The commission may promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to implement the commission's authority to enforce this chapter.

(f)(1) The commission shall create an advisory committee consisting of representatives of the following groups and agencies: facility owners or operators; utilities protection center; excavators; municipalities; counties; Georgia Department of Transportation; Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs; and underground line locators. The advisory committee shall consist of one representative from each of the above groups and agencies, with the exception of facility owners or operators and excavators, which groups shall each have two representatives on the advisory committee. The commission chairperson or such chairperson's representative shall also serve on the advisory committee. Persons appointed to the advisory committee shall have expertise with the subject matter encompassed by the provisions of this chapter.

(2) The advisory committee shall assist the commission in the enforcement of this chapter, and shall perform duties to be assigned by the commission including, but not limited to, the review of reported violations of this chapter, and the preparation of recommendations to the commission as to the appropriate penalties to impose on persons violating the provisions of this chapter.

(3) The members of the advisory committee shall be immune, individually and jointly, from civil liability for any act or omission done or made in the performance of their duties while serving as members of such advisory committee, but only in the absence of willful misconduct.

(g) The commission may, by judgment entered after a hearing on notice duly served on any person not less than 30 days before the date of the hearing, impose a civil penalty not exceeding $10,000.00 for each violation, if it is proved that the person violated any of the provisions of this chapter, as a result of a failure to exercise reasonable care. Any proceeding or civil penalty undertaken pursuant to this Code section shall not prevent nor preempt the right of any party to obtain civil damages for personal injury or property damage in private causes of action. Except as otherwise provided by law, this subsection shall not authorize the commission to impose civil penalties on any county, city, town, or state agency. The commission shall inform the counties, cities, towns, or state agencies of reports of alleged violations involving the county, city, town, or state agency and, at the request of the county, city, town, or state agency, suggest corrective action. The fine provided for in this subsection shall not be imposed on a person engaged in farming activities on land such person owns or leases.

(h) All civil penalties collected pursuant to this Code section shall be deposited in the general fund of the state treasury.