Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026

Bill Number: H.R. 9338
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Transportation and Public Works
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-06-24: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Last Updated: 2026-07-01T21:03:26Z

AI-Generated Summary

Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026

Purpose

This legislation amends title 49 of the United States Code to enhance the safety of pipeline transportation. It updates definitions, safety standards, enforcement procedures, funding authorizations, and creates new mechanisms for information sharing and damage prevention.

Key Provisions

Definitions: Revises the scope of pipeline facilities to exclude certain in-plant piping systems and short transfer lines at production, refining, or manufacturing sites.
Minimum Safety Standards: Requires cost-benefit analyses for safety standards to explicitly consider safety and economic benefits, as well as costs, within the United States.
Enforcement Hearings: Mandates formal hearings for enforcement actions involving compliance costs or civil penalties of $125,000 or more, and directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue protocols for public hearings.
Special Permits: Limits waiver terms to known safety risks, requires Federal Register publication of applications, and sets an 18-month review deadline; also requires congressional and GAO reports on implementation.
Penalties: Expands criminal penalties to include impairing pipeline operations and facilities under construction; increases maximum civil penalties to $341,200 per violation and $3,412,000 for a related series.
Authorizations: Provides annual funding of $180,786,000 for gas and hazardous liquid programs (fiscal years 2027–2031), plus $30,000,000 from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and $7,000,000 for underground natural gas storage.
Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS): Establishes a confidential, voluntary system for sharing pipeline safety data, governed by a 15-member board representing government, industry, and public interests; includes protections against use in enforcement or litigation, with FOIA exemptions for nonpublic information.
Excavation Damage Prevention: Requires states to adopt specific leading practices for one-call programs (e.g., ticket scope, exemptions, positive response, training); mandates reporting on adoption and damage rates; ties grant considerations to enforcement and data practices.
User Fees: Allows collected fees to remain available in the Pipeline Safety Fund until expended.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Updates cost-benefit requirements to prioritize domestic impacts.
Introduces formal hearing rights and time-bound permit reviews.
Creates a new statutory VIS framework with governance and confidentiality rules.
Mandates state adoption of enumerated excavation practices and performance reporting.
Raises penalty caps and broadens the scope of prohibited actions.
Extends funding authorizations through 2031 with specific allocations.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Increases administrative workload for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in permit reviews, hearings, and VIS oversight; requires states to enhance one-call enforcement and data reporting.
Citizens: May improve pipeline safety through better data sharing and excavation practices, with potential effects on public access to information via deidentified VIS reports.
International Relations: No direct provisions affect international matters.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Pipeline operators and related contractors.
Federal agencies (PHMSA, Department of Transportation).
State pipeline safety agencies and one-call centers.
Public safety advocacy groups, labor representatives, and the general public.
Manufacturers, inspection providers, and research institutions participating in the VIS.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Establishes FOIA exemptions and discovery protections for VIS data to encourage voluntary sharing.
Creates formal hearing opportunities that align with administrative procedures under title 5.
Imposes governance structures exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Balances enforcement enhancements with industry flexibility through limited waivers and voluntary programs.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]

Recent Actions

2026-06-24: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
2026-06-24: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
2026-06-18: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
2026-06-18: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2026-06-18: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2026-06-18: Introduced in House
2026-06-18: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-18 — PDF (30 pages)