I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2139 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve pipeline safety, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2019 
Mrs. TRAHAN (for herself, Mr. MOULTON, and Mr. KENNEDY) 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 improve pipeline 
safety, 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 ‘‘Leonel Rondon Pipe-
line Safety Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DISTRIBUTION INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT PLANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 60109(e) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(7) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) EVALUATION
OF
RISK.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, the Secretary shall promulgate regu-
lations that ensure that each distribution integ-
rity management plan developed by an operator 
of a distribution pipeline includes an evaluation 
of— 
‘‘(i) the risks resulting from the pres-
ence of cast iron pipes and mains in the 
distribution system; and 
‘‘(ii) the risks that could lead to or re-
sult from the operation of a distribution 
pipeline above the maximum allowable op-
erating pressure (as described in section 
192.619 of title 49, Code of Federal Regu-
lations (or successor regulations)). 
‘‘(B) CONSIDERATION.—In the evaluations 
required in a plan under subparagraph (A), the 
regulations promulgated by the Secretary shall 
ensure that the distribution integrity manage-
ment plan evaluates future potential threats in 
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a manner that considers factors other than past 
observed abnormal operating conditions (as de-
fined in section 192.803 of title 49, Code of 
Federal Regulations (or successor regulations)) 
in ranking risks and identifying measures to 
mitigate those risks under that subparagraph, 
so that operators avoid using a risk rating of 
zero for low probability events unless otherwise 
supported by engineering analysis. 
‘‘(C) DEADLINES.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of 
this paragraph, each operator of a dis-
tribution pipeline shall submit to the Sec-
retary or to the relevant certified State au-
thority, if applicable, a copy of— 
‘‘(I) the distribution integrity 
management plan of the operator; 
‘‘(II) the emergency response 
plan under section 192.615 of title 49, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or suc-
cessor regulations); and 
‘‘(III) the procedural manual for 
operations, maintenance, and emer-
gencies under section 192.605 of title 
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49, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
successor regulations). 
‘‘(ii) UPDATES.—Each operator of a 
distribution pipeline shall submit to the 
Secretary an updated plan or manual de-
scribed in clause (i) by not later than 60 
days after the date of the update.’’. 
(b) MONITORING.—Section 60105(e) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘A 
State’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) COOPERATION.—A State’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) AUDIT PROGRAM.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the 
Secretary shall promulgate regulations to update the 
annual State Program Evaluations to— 
‘‘(A) ensure that a State authority has the 
capability to sufficiently review and evaluate the 
adequacy of the plans and manuals described in 
section 60109(e)(7)(C)(i); and 
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‘‘(B) require that a State authority has a 
sufficient number of inspectors to ensure safe 
operations, as determined by a formula that 
takes into account factors including but not 
limited to— 
‘‘(i) the number of miles of cast iron 
pipe in the State; 
‘‘(ii) the number of customers in the 
State; 
‘‘(iii) population density in areas with 
gas distribution pipeline; 
‘‘(iv) the age of the gas distribution 
system in the State; and 
‘‘(v) environmental factors, including 
relevant geological issues.’’. 
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS. 
Section 60102 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(q) EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
PLANS.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this sub-
section, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to en-
sure that each emergency response plan under section 
192.615 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or suc-
cessor regulations), developed by an operator of a distribu-
tion pipeline includes written procedures for— 
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‘‘(1) establishing communication with fire, po-
lice, and other relevant public officials as soon as 
practicable, but not later than 30 minutes, after a 
gas pipeline emergency that— 
‘‘(A) includes fires, explosions, or one or 
more fatalities; or 
‘‘(B) results in the shutdown of gas service 
to more than 100 customers; 
‘‘(2) establishing public communication as soon 
as practicable and in consultation with fire, police, 
and other public officials after a gas pipeline emer-
gency that— 
‘‘(A) includes fires, explosions, or one or 
more fatalities; or 
‘‘(B) results in the shutdown of gas service 
to more than 100 customers; and 
‘‘(3) the development and implementation of a 
voluntary, opt-in system that would allow operators 
of distribution pipelines to rapidly communicate with 
customers in the event of an emergency.’’. 
SEC. 4. OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS. 
Section 60102 of title 49, United States Code (as 
amended by section 3), is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
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‘‘(r) OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS.— 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
subsection, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to 
ensure that each procedural manual for operations, main-
tenance, and emergencies under section 192.605 of title 
49, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regula-
tions), developed by an operator of a distribution pipeline 
includes written procedures for— 
‘‘(1) responding to overpressurization alarms, 
including a clear timeline and order of operations for 
shutting down portions of the gas distribution sys-
tem, if necessary; and 
‘‘(2) a detailed procedure for a management of 
change process, which shall be applied to all changes 
to the distribution system, and which shall ensure 
that relevant employees of an operator of a distribu-
tion pipeline, as determined through the regulations, 
review construction documents for accuracy, com-
pleteness, and correctness.’’. 
SEC. 5. PIPELINE SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. 
Section 60102 of title 49, United States Code (as 
amended by section 4), is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(s) PIPELINE SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this subsection, the Sec-
retary shall promulgate regulations directing each 
operator of a distribution pipeline to develop and im-
plement a pipeline safety management systems 
framework in accordance with Recommended Prac-
tice 1173 of the American Petroleum Institute (API 
RP 1173). 
‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Secretary may periodi-
cally revise such regulations to adopt new best in-
dustry practices for promoting safety management 
systems, as appropriate. 
‘‘(3) SUBMISSION.—Each operator of a dis-
tribution pipeline shall submit to the Secretary or 
the relevant State authority, as certified under sec-
tion 60105 of title 49, United States Code— 
‘‘(A) a copy of the pipeline safety manage-
ment systems framework developed under para-
graph (1) by not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this subsection; and 
‘‘(B) any updates to the framework de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) by not later than 
3 years after the date of enactment of this sub-
section after the update. 
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‘‘(4) 
EVALUATION
AND
CERTIFICATION.— 
Under a timeline established by the Secretary 
through regulation, the Secretary or the relevant 
State authority, as certified under section 60105 of 
title 49, United States Code, shall— 
‘‘(A) evaluate pipeline safety management 
systems frameworks developed under paragraph 
(1), including by using independent third-party 
evaluators if necessary; and 
‘‘(B) certify that— 
‘‘(i) those frameworks are effective 
and complete; and 
‘‘(ii) operators of distribution pipe-
lines are in compliance with those frame-
works.’’. 
SEC. 6. PIPELINE SAFETY PRACTICES. 
Section 60102 of title 49, United States Code (as 
amended by section 5), is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(t) OTHER PIPELINE SAFETY PRACTICES.— 
‘‘(1) RECORDS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this subsection, the Sec-
retary shall promulgate regulations to require an op-
erator of a distribution pipeline— 
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‘‘(A) to develop and maintain traceable, re-
liable, complete, and up-to-date records of the 
gas distribution system in each region of oper-
ation that depict high-, medium-, and low-gas 
pressure systems, including maps and other 
drawings; and 
‘‘(B) to ensure that the records described 
in subparagraph (A) are accessible to all em-
ployees of the operator and provided to the Sec-
retary or the relevant State authority. 
‘‘(2) APPROVAL OF CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to 
require that, before carrying out any covered 
task (as defined in section 192.801(b) of title 
49, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
regulations)), the covered task is approved by a 
professional engineer licensed to practice in the 
State in which it is to be carried out. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSION.—In promulgating regula-
tions under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
shall ensure that professional engineers are pro-
vided access to all relevant records and prior 
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work plans needed to certify the safety of the 
covered task. 
‘‘(C) APPLICATION.—The following provi-
sions shall not apply to a standard promulgated 
under subparagraph (A): 
‘‘(i) Subsections (c) and (d) of section 
60118. 
‘‘(ii) Section 60131(e)(5). 
‘‘(3) PRESENCE OF QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this sub-
section, the Secretary shall promulgate regula-
tions to require that not less than 1 employee 
of an operator of a distribution pipeline who is 
qualified to perform relevant covered tasks (as 
defined in section 192.801(b) of title 49, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or successor regula-
tions)), shall monitor gas pressure and have the 
capability to shut down the flow of gas at a dis-
trict regulator station during any construction 
project that has the potential to cause a haz-
ardous over-pressurization at that station, in-
cluding tie-ins and abandonment of distribution 
lines and mains, based on an evaluation of 
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threats that could result in unsafe operation 
conducted by the operator. 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSION.—In promulgating regu-
lations under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
shall ensure that those regulations do not apply 
to a district regulating station that has a moni-
toring system and the capability for remote or 
automatic shutoff. 
‘‘(4) DISTRICT REGULATOR STATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to 
require that each operator of a distribution 
pipeline assesses and upgrades, as appropriate, 
each district regulator station of the operator to 
ensure that— 
‘‘(i) there is no possibility for a com-
mon mode of failure in the regulator tech-
nology of the station that could lead to an 
operating pressure that is greater than the 
maximum allowable operating pressure (as 
described in section 192.619 of title 49, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
regulations)); 
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‘‘(ii) the station has monitoring tech-
nology that provides constant awareness of 
gas pressure at the station; and 
‘‘(iii) the station has additional pres-
sure-relieving safety technology, such as a 
relief valve or automatic shutoff valve, as 
appropriate for the configuration and 
siting of the station. 
‘‘(5) MINIMUM STAFFING REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to 
promote sufficient staffing for monitoring and 
regulating gas pressure levels by each operator 
of a distribution pipeline. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—Regulations promul-
gated under subparagraph (A) shall consider— 
‘‘(i) the total miles of gas main and 
service pipeline within the service area of 
the operator of the distribution pipeline; 
‘‘(ii) the age and material of the pipes 
within the service area of the operator of 
the distribution pipeline; and 
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‘‘(iii) the number and density of cus-
tomers within the service area of the oper-
ator of the distribution pipeline.’’. 
SEC. 7. CIVIL PENALTIES. 
Section 60122(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) 
in 
the 
first 
sentence, 
by 
striking 
‘‘$200,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$20,000,000’’; 
(2) 
in 
the 
third 
sentence, 
by 
striking 
‘‘$2,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$200,000,000’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The 
Secretary shall annually adjust the penalties under 
this paragraph for inflation.’’. 
Æ 
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