I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6509 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Transpor-
tation to establish a confidential voluntary information-sharing system 
to encourage the sharing of pipeline safety data, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 29, 2023 
Mr. MOLINARO (for himself and Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Sec-
retary of Transportation to establish a confidential vol-
untary information-sharing system to encourage the 
sharing of pipeline safety data, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Voluntary Information- 
Sharing System Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PIPELINE SAFETY VOLUNTARY INFORMATION- 
SHARING SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 601 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 60144. Voluntary information-sharing system 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a confidential voluntary information-sharing sys-
tem (referred to in this section as ‘VIS’) to encour-
age the sharing of pipeline safety data and informa-
tion in a non-punitive context in order to improve 
the safety of gas, carbon dioxide, and hazardous liq-
uid gathering, transmission, and distribution pipe-
lines and facilities, including storage facilities. 
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the VIS is to 
establish a comprehensive, systematic, and inte-
grated structure to gather, evaluate, and quantify 
critical pipeline safety data and information and to 
share recommended remediation measures and les-
sons learned across the pipeline industry in an effort 
to improve pipeline safety, including damage preven-
tion efforts, while protecting participant confiden-
tiality. 
‘‘(3) IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT.—In 
establishing the VIS under this section, the Sec-
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retary shall implement and manage such VIS based 
on the Pipeline Safety Voluntary Information-Shar-
ing System Recommendation Report prepared pur-
suant to section 10 of the Protecting Our Infra-
structure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 
2016 (49 U.S.C. 60108 note). 
‘‘(4) INAPPLICABILITY
OF
FACA.—The VIS 
shall not be considered a Federal advisory committee 
and shall not be subject to the requirements of chap-
ter 10 of title 5. 
‘‘(b) GOVERNANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A Governing Board, a Pro-
gram Manager, a Third-Party Information Manager, 
and Issue Analysis Teams shall govern the VIS. 
‘‘(2) GOVERNING BOARD.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Administrator of the Pipeline and Haz-
ardous Materials Safety Administration shall 
appoint a Governing Board after consulting 
with public and private pipeline safety stake-
holders. 
‘‘(B) COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD.—The 
Governing Board shall be comprised of at least 
9 members and shall represent a balanced 
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cross-section of pipeline safety stakeholders 
with pipeline safety knowledge or experience as 
follows: 
‘‘(i) at least 3 individuals shall be se-
lected from departments, agencies, instru-
mentalities of the Federal Government, 
Territories, State governments, or local 
governments, 1 of which shall be the Ad-
ministrator. 
‘‘(ii) at least 3 individuals shall be se-
lected from the gas, carbon dioxide, or haz-
ardous liquid industries, such as operators, 
trade associations, inspection technology, 
coating, and cathodic protection vendors, 
and pipeline inspection organizations. 
‘‘(iii) at least 3 individuals shall be se-
lected from public safety advocate organi-
zations, such as pipeline safety and envi-
ronmental advocacy groups, public safety- 
focused research institutions, or labor and 
worker safety representatives. 
‘‘(C) BOARD TERMS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Each member of 
the Governing Board shall be appointed for 
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pipeline safety data and information that 
the VIS has requested for submission to 
the VIS, and safety trends identified; and 
‘‘(xi) perform other functions as the 
Governing Board decides are necessary or 
appropriate consistent with the purpose of 
the VIS. 
‘‘(3) PROGRAM MANAGER.—The Administrator 
shall provide the day-to-day program management 
and administrative support for the VIS, including 
oversight of the Third-Party Data Manager de-
scribed in paragraph (4). 
‘‘(4) THIRD-PARTY DATA MANAGER.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A Third-Party Data 
Manager shall provide data management and 
data oversight services for the VIS. 
‘‘(B) RESPONSIBILITIES.—In fulfilling the 
responsibilities described in subparagraph (A), 
the Third-Party Data Manager shall— 
‘‘(i) accept pipeline safety data and 
information submitted to the VIS that 
meets the criteria and procedures estab-
lished by the Governing Board under para-
graph (2)(E)(iv); 
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‘‘(ii) de-identify, securely store, and 
manage pipeline safety data and informa-
tion that is accepted by the VIS; 
‘‘(iii) collaborate with Issue Analysis 
Teams described in paragraph (5) to ag-
gregate and analyze de-identified pipeline 
safety data and information that is accept-
ed by the VIS; 
‘‘(iv) prepare reports as requested by 
the Governing Board regarding the type of 
pipeline safety data and information that 
is managed by the VIS; and 
‘‘(v) make recommendations regarding 
the management of pipeline safety data 
and information, as appropriate. 
‘‘(5) ISSUE ANALYSIS TEAMS.—Issue Analysis 
Teams of the VIS shall— 
‘‘(A) work with the Third-Party Data 
Manager described in paragraph (4) to aggre-
gate and analyze de-identified pipeline safety 
data and information accepted by the VIS; 
‘‘(B) collaborate with the Governing Board 
to identify issues and topics for analysis and 
submit internal reports and recommendations to 
the Governing Board; and 
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‘‘(C) prepare reports as requested by the 
Governing Board regarding issues and topics 
identified for additional research by the Gov-
erning Board. 
‘‘(6) PARTICIPATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The submission of 
pipeline safety data and information to the VIS 
by any person shall be voluntary, with no per-
son compelled to participate in or submit data 
or information for inclusion in the VIS. 
‘‘(B) ACCEPTANCE
OF
INFORMATION.— 
The VIS shall implement policies to ensure that 
all operator data or information submitted has 
been authorized by the operator for submission. 
‘‘(C) SHARING
OF
INFORMATION.—The 
Governing Board shall encourage the voluntary 
sharing of pipeline safety data and information 
among operators of gas, carbon dioxide, and 
hazardous liquid gathering, transmission, and 
distribution pipelines and facilities, employees, 
labor unions, contractors, in-line inspection 
service providers, non-destructive evaluation ex-
perts, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Safety Administration, representatives of State 
pipeline safety agencies, local and Tribal gov-
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ernments, pipeline safety advocacy groups, 
manufacturers, research and academic institu-
tions, and other pipeline stakeholders. 
‘‘(c) INFORMATION SHARING.— 
‘‘(1) INCLUSIONS.—Pipeline safety data and in-
formation accepted by the VIS may include— 
‘‘(A) pipeline integrity risk analysis infor-
mation; 
‘‘(B) lessons learned from accidents and 
near misses; 
‘‘(C) process improvements; 
‘‘(D) technology deployment practices; 
‘‘(E) information obtained through VIS 
pipeline safety surveys of pipeline operator em-
ployees, as long as such surveys are voluntarily 
agreed to by the pipeline operator; and 
‘‘(F) pipeline safety data and information 
which may lead to the identification of pipeline 
safety risks. 
‘‘(d) CONFIDENTIALITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) CONFIDENTIALITY.—To facilitate the 
sharing of otherwise non-public pipeline safety 
data and information (hereinafter known as 
‘non-public information’) in the VIS, non-public 
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information accepted by the VIS and which 
may be analyzed, stored, or managed by the 
VIS shall be kept confidential by the VIS. 
‘‘(B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Subpara-
graph (A) shall not be construed to apply to 
public information that may be submitted to the 
VIS or to non-public information that is re-
quired to be submitted to any Federal, State, 
local, or Tribal agency under any other provi-
sion of law. 
‘‘(2) DISCLOSURE
OF
DE-IDENTIFIED, NON- 
PUBLIC INFORMATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sub-
sections (e) and (f), the Governing Board may 
approve the disclosure of de-identified, non-pub-
lic information by the VIS or by the Adminis-
trator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Safety Administration based on analysis of the 
de-identified information and any safety find-
ings or recommendations that the Governing 
Board in the sole discretion of the Board deter-
mines to publish or authorizes the Adminis-
trator to publish to improve pipeline safety. 
‘‘(B) PUBLIC REPORTS.—In issuing public 
reports under subsection (b)(2)(E)(x), the Gov-
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erning Board shall approve the disclosure of de- 
identified, non-public information by the VIS 
that the Governing Board determines is nec-
essary to adequately describe and illustrate the 
issues and topics being investigated and ana-
lyzed by the VIS. 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), no person, including any VIS Governing 
Board member, the Program Manager, the Third- 
Party Data Manager described in subsection (b)(4), 
an Issue Analysis Team member described in sub-
section (b)(5), or any Federal, State, local, or Tribal 
agency, having or obtaining access to non-public in-
formation by virtue of the acceptance of such infor-
mation to the VIS, shall release or communicate VIS 
held non-public information, in either an identified 
or de-identified form, to any person that does not 
have the authority to view VIS data. 
‘‘(e) APPLICABILITY OF FOIA.—Any non-public in-
formation that is accepted by the VIS and which may be 
analyzed, stored, or managed by the VIS and subsequently 
obtained by the Secretary or the Administrator by virtue 
of the acceptance of such information to the VIS shall be 
exempt from the requirements of section 552 of title 5 
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and specifically exempt from release under subsection 
(b)(3) of such section. 
‘‘(f) EXCLUSIONS.— 
‘‘(1) EXCLUDED
EVIDENCE.—Except as pro-
vided in paragraph (3), non-public information ac-
cepted by the VIS and which may be analyzed, 
stored, or managed by the VIS shall not be obtained 
from the VIS— 
‘‘(A) for use as evidence for any purpose in 
any Federal, State, local, Tribal, or private liti-
gation, including any action or proceeding; or 
‘‘(B) to initiate any enforcement action or 
civil litigation against a pipeline operator or 
employees or contractors of such operator relat-
ing to a probable violation under this chapter 
(including any regulation promulgated or order 
issued under this chapter). 
‘‘(2) EXCLUSION FROM DISCOVERY.—Except as 
provided in paragraph (3), non-public information 
accepted by the VIS and which may be analyzed, 
stored, or managed by the VIS shall not be subject 
to discovery from the VIS in any Federal, State, 
local, Tribal, or private litigation or other pro-
ceeding. 
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‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS ON EXCLUSIONS.—The ex-
clusions described in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall 
not apply to non-public information accepted by the 
VIS that is— 
‘‘(A) evidence of a criminal violation; 
‘‘(B) not related to the established purpose 
of the VIS described in subsection (a)(2); 
‘‘(C) otherwise required to be reported to 
the Secretary under part 191 (including infor-
mation about an incident or accident), part 
192, part 194, part 195, or part 199 of title 
49, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
regulations), or required to be reported under 
the requirements of a State authority; or 
‘‘(D) developed or obtained from a source 
other than the VIS, including through discovery 
from a person or an entity other than the VIS 
in an enforcement action or private litigation. 
‘‘(g) EFFECT ON STATE LAW.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to affect Federal, State, or local 
pipeline safety law. 
‘‘(h) NO EFFECT ON DISCOVERY.— 
‘‘(1) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this section or any rule, regulation, or amendment 
issued pursuant to this section shall be construed to 
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create a defense to a discovery request or otherwise 
limit or affect the discovery of pipeline safety data 
and information arising from a cause of action au-
thorized under any under Federal, State, or local 
law. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to exclusions from discovery from the VIS as 
described in subsection (f)(2). 
‘‘(i) EXPENSES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Members of the VIS Gov-
erning Board and Issue Analysis Teams may be paid 
expenses under section 5703 of title 5. 
‘‘(2) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—A payment 
under this subsection shall not be construed to make 
a member of the VIS Governing Board an officer or 
employee of the Federal Government. 
‘‘(3) FEDERAL
EMPLOYEES.—Paragraph (1) 
shall not apply to members of the VIS Governing 
Board that are employees of the Federal Govern-
ment. 
‘‘(j) REPORT ON VIS.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
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Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, 
and make publicly available, a report that includes— 
‘‘(1) a detailed accounting of the allocation and 
uses of expenditures authorized under this section; 
‘‘(2) an estimate of the annual cost to maintain 
the VIS program, including an assessment and pro-
jection of costs associated with the Third-Party 
Data Manager, data sourcing and storage, data gov-
ernance, data architecture, data consumption, and 
the VIS operations and administration by the Pipe-
line and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; 
‘‘(3) the methodology for determining the esti-
mate under paragraph (2); 
‘‘(4) the number of expected participants in the 
VIS program; 
‘‘(5) the number of Pipeline and Hazardous 
Materials Safety Administration positions needed to 
maintain the VIS program; 
‘‘(6) the projected timeline for the implementa-
tion of the VIS program to meet the purposes under 
subsection (a)(2); and 
‘‘(7) recommendations to ensure sufficient 
funding for the ongoing activities of the VIS pro-
gram, including a reasonable fee assessed on author-
ized participants in the VIS program. 
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‘‘(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated for the establishment 
of a voluntary information-sharing program under this 
section— 
‘‘(1) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
‘‘(2) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; 
‘‘(3) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and 
‘‘(4) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 601 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘60144.Voluntary information-sharing system.’’. 
Æ 
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