(E) prohibiting ex-parte communication 
relevant to the question to be decided in the case 
by parties to an investigation or hearing. 
(2) PRESIDING OFFICIAL.—The regulations pre-
scribed under this subsection shall— 
(A) define the term ‘‘presiding official’’ to 
mean the person who conducts any hearing relat-
ing to civil penalty assessments, compliance or-
ders, safety orders, or corrective action orders; 
and 
(B) require that the presiding official must 
be an attorney on the staff of the Deputy Chief 
Counsel that is not engaged in investigative or 
prosecutorial functions, including the prepara-
tion of notices of probable violations, notices re-
lating to civil penalty assessments, notices relat-
ing to compliance, or notices of proposed correc-
tive actions. 
(3) EXPEDITED REVIEW.—The regulations pre-
scribed under this subsection shall define the term 
‘‘expedited review’’ for the purposes of paragraph 
(1)(C). 
(b) STANDARDS
OF
JUDICIAL
REVIEW.—Section 
60119(a) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
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‘‘(3) A judicial review of agency action under this sec-
tion shall apply the standards of review established in sec-
tion 706 of title 5.’’. 
SEC. 20. GAS AND HAZARDOUS LIQUID GATHERING LINES. 
(a) REVIEW.—The Secretary of Transportation shall 
complete a review of existing Federal and State regulations 
for gas and hazardous liquid gathering lines located onshore 
and offshore in the United States, including within the in-
lets of the Gulf of Mexico. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the House of Representatives Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on 
Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation a report on 
the results of the review. 
(2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The report shall in-
clude the Secretary’s recommendations with respect 
to— 
(A) the sufficiency of existing Federal and 
State laws and regulations to ensure the safety 
of gas and hazardous liquid gathering lines; 
(B) quantifying the economical and tech-
nical practicability and challenges of applying 
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existing Federal regulations to gathering lines 
that are currently not subject to Federal regula-
tion when compared to the public safety benefits; 
and 
(C) subject to a risk-based assessment, the 
need to modify or revoke existing exemptions 
from Federal regulation for gas and hazardous 
liquid gathering lines. 
SEC. 21. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) GAS AND HAZARDOUS LIQUID.—Section 60125(a) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) GAS AND HAZARDOUS LIQUID.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out the provisions 
of this chapter related to gas and hazardous liquid 
and section 12 of the Pipeline Safety Improvement 
Act of 2002 (49 U.S.C. 60101 note; Public Law 107– 
355), there is authorized to be appropriated to the De-
partment of Transportation for each of fiscal years 
2012 through 2015, from fees collected under section 
60301, $88,014,000, of which $4,686,000 is for car-
rying out such section 12 and $34,461,000 is for mak-
ing grants. 
‘‘(2) TRUST FUND AMOUNTS.—In addition to the 
amounts authorized to be appropriated by paragraph 
(1), there is authorized to be appropriated for each of 
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fiscal years 2012 through 2015 from the Oil Spill Li-
ability Trust Fund to carry out the provisions of this 
chapter related to hazardous liquid and section 12 of 
the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (49 
U.S.C. 
60101 
note; 
Public 
Law 
107–355), 
$18,905,000, of which $2,185,000 is for carrying out 
such section 12 and $4,985,000 is for making 
grants.’’. 
(b) 
EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
GRANTS.—Section 
60125(b)(2) is amended by striking ‘‘2007 through 2010’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2012 through 2015’’. 
(c) ONE-CALL
NOTIFICATION
PROGRAMS.—Section 
6107 is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘2007 through 
2010.’’ and inserting ‘‘2012 through 2015.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘2007 through 
2010.’’ and inserting ‘‘2012 through 2015.’’; and 
(3) by striking subsection (c). 
(d) STATE DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.—Sec-
tion 60134 is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to provide 
grants under this section $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 
2012 through 2015. Such funds shall remain available until 
expended.’’. 
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(e) COMMUNITY
PIPELINE
SAFETY
INFORMATION 
GRANTS.—Section 60130 is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘to grant recipients and 
their contractors’’ after ‘‘this section’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, for any type of advocacy 
activity for or against a pipeline construction or 
expansion project,’’ after ‘‘for lobbying’’; and 
(2) in subsection (d) by striking ‘‘2010’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2015’’. 
(f) PIPELINE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT.—Section 12 of the Pipeline Safety Improve-
ment Act of 2002 (49 U.S.C. 60101 note) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(3) ONGOING
PIPELINE
TRANSPORTATION
RE-
SEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—After the initial 5-year 
program plan has been carried out by the par-
ticipating agencies, the Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall prepare a research and development 
program plan every 5 years thereafter and shall 
transmit a report to Congress on the status and 
results-to-date of implementation of the program 
every 2 years. 
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‘‘(B) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of 
Transportation shall comply with the consulta-
tion requirements of subsection (d)(2) when pre-
paring the program plan and in the selection 
and prioritization of research and development 
projects. 
‘‘(C) 
FUNDING
FROM
NON-FEDERAL 
SOURCES.—When carrying out research and de-
velopment activities, the Secretary, to the great-
est extent practicable, shall obtain funding for 
research and development projects from non-Fed-
eral sources.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (f) by striking ‘‘2003 through 
2006.’’ and inserting ‘‘2012 through 2015.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 197 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2845 
[Report No. 112–297, Part I] 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide 
for enhanced safety and environmental protection 
in pipeline transportation, to provide for en-
hanced reliability in the transportation of the 
Nation’s energy products by pipeline, and for 
other purposes. 
DECEMBER 1, 2011 
Reported from the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure with an amendment 
DECEMBER 1, 2011 
The Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; 
committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
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