The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2019
The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2019 (H.R. 5175) is a bill to reauthorize federal pipeline safety programs, which expired at the end of September 2019. The bill will improve pipeline safety, foster collaboration between government and stakeholders, harness innovation and technology, and reduce regulatory burdens.
The bill was conceived in a bipartisan manner and was introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republican leaders on November 19, 2019.
During the November markup of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act was offered and received bipartisan support (compared to the majority’s partisan pipelines bill which received bipartisan opposition).
Although the Committee did not approve the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act during its November markup, the measure remains a commonsense, viable vehicle to actually get bipartisan congressional agreement on legislation to reauthorize these critical programs and improve safety for the 2.6 million-mile U.S. pipeline network.
Resources for the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2019:
Bill text and additional legislative info
Press release and summary of legislation
Op-ed by bill sponsor Rep. Rick Crawford on the need for bipartisan action on pipeline safety reauthorization
November 19, 2019, statement of support from coalition of stakeholders responsible for the safe transportation of energy products by pipeline:
Dear Ranking Members Graves and Crawford:
Thank you for your leadership in support of pipeline safety. With your support, the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee with jurisdiction over pipelines has pursued important bipartisan improvements to federal pipeline safety laws.
Modern federal pipeline safety requirements are needed to keep pipelines operating safely. The U.S. pipeline network is already the safest in the world. Pipeline operators recognize, however, there is more we can and should do to improve pipeline safety.
Earlier this year, the Committee hosted a hearing to review proposals to harness new technologies and best practices to improve safety, learn from past pipeline incidents and improve ability of the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to administer federal pipeline safety requirements. Unfortunately, many of the proposals made to improve pipeline safety were left out of H.R. 5120, the bill the Committee will mark up.
The bill you introduced, the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2019, contains more provisions that will improve pipeline safety, such as promoting voluntary information sharing, piloting new safety technologies, and modernizing the class location change program.
We appreciate your leadership advancing these proposals and look forward to assisting the committee in bipartisan legislation to improve pipeline safety.
Sincerely,
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
American Gas Association
American Petroleum Institute
American Public Gas Association
Association of Oil Pipe Lines
GPA Midstream Association
Interstate Natural Gas Association of America