Pipeline Safety Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4700 To amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize pipeline safety programs, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 16, 2019 Mr. UPTON (for himself, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. LATTA, Mrs. RODGERS of Wash- ington, Mr. FLORES, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. OLSON, Mr. KINZINGER, Mr. BUCSHON, Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, and Mr. SHIMKUS) introduced the following bill; which was 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 juris- diction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize pipeline safety programs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pipeline Safety Act 4 of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4700.IH H4700 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 4700 IH SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 1 (a) OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.—There are authorized 2 to be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for 3 the necessary operational expenses of the Pipeline and 4 Hazardous Materials Safety Administration the following 5 amounts: 6 (1) $24,215,000 for fiscal year 2020. 7 (2) $24,941,450 for fiscal year 2021. 8 (b) GAS AND HAZARDOUS LIQUID.—Section 9 60125(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 10 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs 11 (A) through (D) and inserting the following: 12 ‘‘(A) $160,800,000 for fiscal year 2020, of 13 which $10,000,000 shall be expended for car- 14 rying out such section 12 and $60,000,000 15 shall be expended for making grants; and 16 ‘‘(B) $165,624,000 for fiscal year 2021 of 17 which $10,000,000 shall be expended for car- 18 rying out such section 12 and $61,800,000 19 shall be expended for making grants.’’; 20 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraphs 21 (A) through (D) and inserting the following: 22 ‘‘(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, of 23 which $5,000,000 shall be expended for car- 24 rying out such section 12 and $9,000,000 shall 25 be expended for making grants; and 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4700.IH H4700 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 4700 IH ‘‘(B) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, of 1 which $5,000,000 shall be expended for car- 2 rying out such section 12 and $9,000,000 shall 3 be expended for making grants.’’; and 4 (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘$8,000,000 5 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2019’’ and in- 6 serting ‘‘$9,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 7 through 2021’’. 8 (c) EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANTS.—Section 9 60125(b)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 10 by striking ‘‘$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 11 through 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘$12,000,000 for each of fis- 12 cal years 2020 through 2021’’. 13 (d) PIPELINE SAFETY INFORMATION GRANTS TO 14 COMMUNITIES.—Section 60130(c) of title 49, United 15 States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘section 2(b) of the 16 PIPES Act of 2016, the Secretary shall expend 17 $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019 18 to carry out this section’’ and inserting ‘‘section 2(a) of 19 the Pipeline Safety Act of 2019, the Secretary shall ex- 20 pend $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 21 2021 to carry out this section’’. 22 (e) STATE DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.—Sec- 23 tion 60134(i) of title 49, United States Code is amended 24 by striking ‘‘$1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4700.IH H4700 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 4700 IH through 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘$2,000,000 for each of fis- 1 cal years 2020 through 2021’’. 2 (f) ONE-CALL NOTIFICATION PROGRAMS.—Section 3 6107 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by strik- 4 ing ‘‘$1,058,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 5 2019’’ and inserting ‘‘$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 6 2020 through 2021’’. 7 SEC. 3. PIPELINE SAFETY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. 8 (a) DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY FOR PIPELINE AND 9 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION.— 10 (1) AUTHORITY.—The Administrator of the 11 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Adminis- 12 tration may appoint qualified candidates to positions 13 described in paragraph (2) without regard to sec- 14 tions 3309 through 3319 of title 5, United States 15 Code. 16 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The authority under 17 paragraph (1) applies with respect to candidates for 18 any position that would likely allow increased activi- 19 ties relating to pipeline safety, as determined by the 20 Administrator. 21 (3) TERMINATION.—The authority to make ap- 22 pointments under this subsection shall not be avail- 23 able after September 30, 2021. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4700.IH H4700 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 4700 IH (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 1 of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter through 2 calendar year 2021, the Administrator of the Pipeline and 3 Hazardous Materials Safety Administration shall submit 4 to Congress a report on the efforts of the Administration 5 to hire women, minorities, and veterans as inspectors since 6 January 1, 2012. 7 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4700.IH H4700 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS