tion feedback and information sharing with the purpose of 
improving natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid 
pipeline facility integrity risk analysis. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The working group convened pur-
suant to subsection (a) shall include representatives from— 
(1) the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
Administration; 
(2) industry stakeholders, including operators of 
pipeline facilities, inspection technology vendors, and 
pipeline inspection organizations; 
(3) safety advocacy groups; 
(4) research institutions; 
(5) State public utility commissions or State of-
ficials responsible for pipeline safety oversight; 
(6) State pipeline safety inspectors; and 
(7) labor representatives. 
(c) CONSIDERATIONS.—The working group convened 
pursuant to subsection (a) shall consider and provide rec-
ommendations to the Secretary on— 
(1) the need for, and the identification of, a sys-
tem to ensure that dig verification data are shared 
with in-line inspection operators to the extent con-
sistent with the need to maintain proprietary and se-
curity sensitive data in a confidential manner to im-
prove pipeline safety and inspection technology; 
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(2) ways to encourage the exchange of pipeline 
inspection information and the development of ad-
vanced pipeline inspection technologies and enhanced 
risk analysis; 
(3) opportunities to share data, including dig 
verification data between operators of pipeline facili-
ties and in-line inspector vendors to expand knowl-
edge of the advantages and disadvantages of the dif-
ferent types of in-line inspection technology and 
methodologies; 
(4) options to create a secure system that pro-
tects proprietary data while encouraging the exchange 
of pipeline inspection information and the develop-
ment of advanced pipeline inspection technologies and 
enhanced risk analysis; and 
(5) regulatory, funding, and legal barriers to 
sharing the information described in paragraphs (1) 
through (4). 
(d) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall publish the 
recommendations provided under subsection (c) on a pub-
licly available Web site of the Department of Transpor-
tation. 
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SEC. 11. NATIONWIDE INTEGRATED PIPELINE SAFETY REG-
ULATORY DATABASE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall establish a national integrated pipeline safety 
regulatory inspection database to improve communication 
and collaboration between the Pipeline and Hazardous Ma-
terials Safety Administration and State pipeline regu-
lators. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the database, the 
Secretary shall consider— 
(1) any efforts underway to test a secure infor-
mation-sharing system for the purpose described in 
subsection (a); 
(2) any progress in establishing common stand-
ards for maintaining, collecting, and presenting pipe-
line safety regulatory inspection data, and a method-
ology for the sharing of the data; 
(3) any existing inadequacies or gaps in State 
and Federal inspection, enforcement, geospatial, or 
other pipeline safety regulatory inspection data; 
(4) the potential safety benefits of a national in-
tegrated pipeline database; and 
(5) recommendations of stakeholders for how to 
implement a secure information-sharing system that 
protects proprietary and security sensitive informa-
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tion and data for the purpose described in subsection 
(a). 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In implementing this section, the 
Secretary shall consult with stakeholders, including State 
authorities operating under a certification to regulate 
intrastate pipelines under section 60105 of title 49, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 12. UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS STORAGE FACILI-
TIES. 
(a) DEFINED TERM.—Section 60101(a) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (21)(B) by striking the period 
at the end and inserting a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (22)(B)(iii) by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; 
(3) in paragraph (24) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(4) in paragraph (25) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(26) ‘underground natural gas storage facility’ 
means a gas pipeline facility that stores gas in an 
underground facility, including— 
‘‘(A) a depleted hydrocarbon reservoir; 
‘‘(B) an aquifer reservoir; or 
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‘‘(C) a solution-mined salt cavern res-
ervoir.’’. 
(b) STANDARDS FOR UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS 
STORAGE FACILITIES.—Chapter 601 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 60141. Standards for underground natural gas 
storage facilities 
‘‘(a) MINIMUM SAFETY STANDARDS.—Not later than 
2 years after the date of enactment of the PIPES Act of 
2016, the Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other 
relevant Federal agencies, shall issue minimum safety 
standards for underground natural gas storage facilities. 
‘‘(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the safety 
standards required under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall, to the extent practicable— 
‘‘(1) consider consensus standards for the oper-
ation, environmental protection, and integrity man-
agement of underground natural gas storage facilities; 
‘‘(2) consider the economic impacts of the regula-
tions on individual gas customers; and 
‘‘(3) ensure that the regulations do not have a 
significant economic impact on end users. 
‘‘(c) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this section may 
be construed to affect any Federal regulation relating 
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