101 
(B) the feasibility, benefits, costs, and 
technological needs of incorporating facility sys-
tem data into existing emergency alert systems; 
(C) whether local emergency management 
organizations may need additional hardware, 
software, personnel, or communications support 
to incorporate a localized emergency alert sys-
tem into an existing emergency alert system; 
(D) whether other systems could support 
notification to the public of an incident or acci-
dent at a covered facility, such as the National 
Response Center, the Reverse-911 telecommuni-
cation system, or severe weather warning sys-
tems; and 
(E) whether localized emergency alert sys-
tems have been considered, studied, or imple-
mented in other high hazard industries, such as 
industrial gases, chemicals, petrochemicals, and 
petroleum refining, and the results of any study 
or implementation of such systems in such in-
dustries; 
(3) consult with owners and operators of large 
and small covered facilities, public safety advocacy 
groups, and urban and rural State, Tribal, and local 
emergency management officials; 
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102 
(4) assess the adequacy of existing practices of 
owners and operators of covered facilities in pro-
viding timely and pertinent safety communication 
about an incident or accident at such facility to local 
communities, including individuals with disabilities 
and other at-risk populations with access and func-
tional needs, affected by such incident or accident; 
(5) assess whether there are legal hurdles to es-
tablishing a localized emergency alert system that 
uses voluntarily collected data or opt-in procedures, 
including any data security considerations; 
(6) consider the feasibility, benefits, costs, and 
other impacts to State and Federal safety regulators 
who would oversee any requirement of owners and 
operators of covered facilities; 
(7) assess the types of incidents and accidents 
at covered facilities, by commodities transported and 
the unique characteristics of such incident or acci-
dent, that should be reported through a localized 
emergency alert system and the content of the infor-
mation that should be provided; 
(8) assess which members of the public should 
receive communications from localized emergency 
alert systems, including individuals, persons, or or-
ganizations located in the vicinity of high con-
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103 
sequence areas, unusually sensitive areas, and any 
other defining characteristics as determined by the 
Comptroller General; and 
(9) consider whether any Federal requirements 
or mandates are needed in order to establish an ef-
fective localized emergency alert system for incidents 
or accidents at covered facilities. 
(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Comptroller General 
shall include in the study conducted under subsection (a) 
any policy recommendations developed as a result of the 
information studied and assessed under subsection (b). 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED
FACILITY.—The term ‘‘covered 
facility’’ means a gas pipeline facility, a hazardous 
liquid pipeline facility, or a carbon dioxide pipeline 
facility, including a liquefied natural gas storage fa-
cility or an underground natural gas storage facility, 
as defined in section 60101 of title 49, United 
States Code. 
(2) LOCALIZED EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.— 
The term ‘‘localized emergency alert system’’ means 
a system that provides to individuals in the imme-
diate vicinity of a covered facility an electronic noti-
fication of an incident or accident at such facility 
that presents an immediate risk to life or property. 
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104 
SEC. 32. MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE OPERATING PRESSURE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 60139 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(1)(A) by inserting ‘‘except 
as provided in subsection (e),’’ before ‘‘require’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub-
section (f); and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) TESTING RECORDS WORKING GROUP.— 
‘‘(1) 
PREVIOUSLY
TESTED
TRANSMISSION 
LINES.—Until the completion of the report of the 
Working Group required under paragraph (2) and 
the rulemaking proceeding required under paragraph 
(3), the Secretary shall not require an owner or op-
erator of a pipeline facility to reconfirm the max-
imum allowable operating pressure of a natural gas 
transmission pipeline pursuant to section 192.624 of 
title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, if the owner 
or operator confirms the material strength of the 
pipeline through prior testing conducted to a suffi-
cient minimum pressure in accordance with pre-
vailing safety standards and practices, including any 
applicable class location factors, and documented in 
contemporaneous records. 
‘‘(2) WORKING GROUP REPORT.— 
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105 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—No later than 30 days 
after the date of enactment of the PIPES Act 
of 2025, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
create a fairly balanced working group (herein-
after referred to as the ‘Working Group’) to 
produce a report containing recommendations 
on the minimum pressure and contemporaneous 
records that are sufficient to confirm the mate-
rial strength of a pipeline through prior testing. 
‘‘(B) COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUP.— 
The Working Group— 
‘‘(i) shall be comprised of the Admin-
istrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Ma-
terials Safety Administration, State pipe-
line regulators, the public, and industry 
stakeholders active in the operation of nat-
ural gas pipelines; and 
‘‘(ii) may include members of the 
Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Com-
mittee or be conducted in a manner that 
otherwise ensures input from the public, as 
determined appropriate by the Secretary. 
‘‘(C) CONSIDERATION.—In preparing the 
report required under paragraph (1), the Work-
ing Group— 
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