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 Washington, 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 jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize 

pipeline safety programs, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pipeline Safety Act 

5 of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 (a) OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.—There are authorized 

3 to be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for 

4 the necessary operational expenses of the Pipeline and 

5 Hazardous Materials Safety Administration the following 

6 amounts: 

7 (1) $24,215,000 for fiscal year 2020. 

8 (2) $24,941,450 for fiscal year 2021. 

9 (b) GAS AND HAZARDOUS LIQUID.—Section 

10 60125(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 

11 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs 

12 (A) through (D) and inserting the following: 

13 ‘‘(A) $160,800,000 for fiscal year 2020, of 

14 which $10,000,000 shall be expended for car15 rying out such section 12 and $60,000,000 

16 shall be expended for making grants; and 

17 ‘‘(B) $165,624,000 for fiscal year 2021 of 

18 which $10,000,000 shall be expended for car19 rying out such section 12 and $61,800,000 

20 shall be expended for making grants.’’; 

21 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraphs 

22 (A) through (D) and inserting the following: 

23 ‘‘(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, of 

24 which $5,000,000 shall be expended for car25 rying out such section 12 and $9,000,000 shall 

26 be expended for making grants; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, of 

2 which $5,000,000 shall be expended for car3 rying out such section 12 and $9,000,000 shall 

4 be expended for making grants.’’; and 

5 (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘$8,000,000 

6 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2019’’ and in7 serting ‘‘$9,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 

8 through 2021’’. 

9 (c) EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANTS.—Section 

10 60125(b)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 

11 by striking ‘‘$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 

12 through 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘$12,000,000 for each of fis13 cal years 2020 through 2021’’. 

14 (d) PIPELINE SAFETY INFORMATION GRANTS TO

15 COMMUNITIES.—Section 60130(c) of title 49, United 

16 States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘section 2(b) of the 

17 PIPES Act of 2016, the Secretary shall expend 

18 $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019 

19 to carry out this section’’ and inserting ‘‘section 2(a) of 

20 the Pipeline Safety Act of 2019, the Secretary shall ex21 pend $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 

22 2021 to carry out this section’’. 

23 (e) STATE DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.—Sec24 tion 60134(i) of title 49, United States Code is amended 

25 by striking ‘‘$1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 


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1 through 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘$2,000,000 for each of fis2 cal years 2020 through 2021’’. 

3 (f) ONE-CALL NOTIFICATION PROGRAMS.—Section 

4 6107 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by strik5 ing ‘‘$1,058,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 

6 2019’’ and inserting ‘‘$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

7 2020 through 2021’’. 

8 SEC. 3. PIPELINE SAFETY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. 

9 (a) DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY FOR PIPELINE AND

10 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION.— 

11 (1) AUTHORITY.—The Administrator of the 

12 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Adminis13 tration may appoint qualified candidates to positions 

14 described in paragraph (2) without regard to sec15 tions 3309 through 3319 of title 5, United States 

16 Code. 

17 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The authority under 

18 paragraph (1) applies with respect to candidates for 

19 any position that would likely allow increased activi20 ties relating to pipeline safety, as determined by the 

21 Administrator. 

22 (3) TERMINATION.—The authority to make ap23 pointments under this subsection shall not be avail24 able after September 30, 2021. 


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1 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

2 of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter through 

3 calendar year 2021, the Administrator of the Pipeline and 

4 Hazardous Materials Safety Administration shall submit 

5 to Congress a report on the efforts of the Administration 

6 to hire women, minorities, and veterans as inspectors since 

7 January 1, 2012. 

Æ 


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