Sponsors (2)
The bill increases safety and environmental protection for communities near Type A gas gathering lines by requiring shutoff valves and modern detection, at the cost of higher compliance and capital expenses for operators (likely passed to consumers) and potential implementation strain on regulators and smaller operators.
Residents and workers near Type A gas gathering lines will face a lower risk of large gas releases because operators must install shutoff valves and rupture-detection measures.
Communities and ecosystems near gathering lines will see reduced environmental damage and lower downstream cleanup costs due to required modern detection standards and faster mitigation.
Operators and regulators will have clearer regulatory expectations, helping companies plan compliance and potentially reducing long-term accident liability and enforcement uncertainty.
Utilities and ultimately consumers and taxpayers will face higher costs because operators must make capital and operational investments to install valves and detection systems.
Small and mid-size gathering-line operators and the rural communities they serve may bear disproportionate compliance burdens and face service disruptions during retrofits.
Regulators and operators could experience implementation strain if the rule is implemented rapidly without funding or phased timelines, causing enforcement friction and compliance challenges.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires PHMSA to apply its 2022 valve installation and rupture-detection rule to Type A gas gathering lines.
Official title: To require the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to apply the final rule relating to valve installation and minimum rupture detection standards to Type A gas gathering lines, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 19, 2025 by Salud Carbajal · Last progress May 19, 2025
Directs the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to apply its April 8, 2022 final rule on valve installation and minimum rupture detection standards to Type A gas gathering lines. In practice, the bill would extend existing federal safety requirements for valves and rupture detection to an additional category of gas gathering pipeline, affecting regulators and pipeline operators and aiming to reduce rupture impacts on nearby communities and the environment.