An Act to amend the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968
PL 92-401 (H.R.5065), enacted 08/22/1972

616 
PUBLIC LAW 92-401-AUG. 22, 1972 
[86 STAT. 
Public Law 92-401 
August 22, 1972 
[H. R. 5065] 
Natural Gas 
Pipeline Safety 
Act of 1968, 
amendment. 
82 Stat. 722. 
AN ACT 
Report to Presi-
dent, transmittal 
to Congress. 
!iiiUi»isq9'<i 
To amend the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1908. and for other purix).ses. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemhled. That the first sen-
tence of section 5(a) of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 
(49 U.S.C. 1674(a)) is amended by striking out "two years" and 
inserting in lieu thereof "fiv^e years". 
SEC. 2. Section_5(c) (1) of such Act (49 U.S.C. 1674(c)(1)) is 
amended by striking out the first sentence thereof and inserting in 
lieu thereof the following: "Except as otherwise provided in this 
section, if an application is submitted not later than September 30 
in any calendar year, the Secretary shall pay out of funds appro-
priated or otherwise made available up to 50 per centum of the cost 
of the personnel, equipment, and activities of a State agency reason-
ably required, during the following calendar year to carry out a 
safety program under a certification under subsection (a) or an agree-
ment under subsection (b) of this section; or to act as agent of the 
Secretary with respect to interstate transmission facilities. The Secre-
tary may, after notice and consultation with a State agency, withhold 
all or any part of the funds for a particular State agency if he deter-
mines that such State agency (A) is not satisfactorily carrying out a 
safety program under a certification under subsection (a) or an agree-
ment under subsection (b) of this section, or (B) is not satisfactorily 
acting as agent of the Secretary with respect to interstate transmission 
facilities.". 
SEC. 3. Section 13 of such Act (49 U.S.C. 1682) is amended by 
adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: 
"(d) The Secretary is authorized to consult with, and make recom-
mendations to, other Federal departments and agencies. State and 
local governments, and other public and private agencies or persons, 
for the purpose of developing and encouraging activities, including 
the enactment of legislation, to assist in the implementation of this 
Act and to improve State and local pipeline safety programs.". 
SEC. 4. Section 15 of such Act (49 U.S.C. 1684) is amended to read 
as follows: 
"APPROPRIA'J'IONS A r T H ( )H1ZK1) 
"SEC. 15. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this 
Act over a period of three fiscal years, beginning with the fiscal year 
ending June 30, 1972, there is authorized to be appropriated not to 
exceed $3,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30,1972; not to exceed 
$3,800,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973; and not to exceed 
$5,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974.". 
SEC. 5. The Secretary of Transportation shall prepare and submit 
to the President for transmittal to the Congress on March 17, 1973, a 
report which shall contain— 
(1) a description of the pipeline safety program being con-
ducted in each State; 
(2) annual projections of each State agency's needs for per-
sonnel, equipment, and activities reasonably required to carry out 
such State's program during each calendar year from 1973 
through 1978 and estimates of the annual costs thereof ; 
(3) the source or sources of State funds to finance such 
programs; 
(4) the amount of Federal assistance needed annually; 
86 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-402-AUG. 22, 1972 
617 
(;•)) ail evaluation of alternative methods of allotting Federal 
funds among the States that desire Federal assistance, mcludinir 
recommendations, if needed for a statutory formula for appor-
tioning Federal funds; and 
(6) a discussion of other problems affecting cooperation among 
the States that relate to effective participation of State agencies 
in the national pipeline safety program. 
The repoi-t shall be prepared by the Secretary after consultation with 
the cooperating State agencies and the national organization of Stati* 
conunissions. 
SEC. 6. Section H(f)(3)(A) of the Department of Transportation 
Act (49 r.S.C. 1.()55(f)(8)(A)) is amended by striking out "and 
pipeline". 
Approved August 22, 1972. 
80 Stat. 940. 
Public Law 92-402 
AN ACT 
To authorize appropriations for tlie fiscal year 1973 for certain maritime pi"0-
grams of the Department of Commerce, and for related purposes. 
August 22, 1972 
[H. R.13324] 
Be H enacted hy the Senate and House of Bepresentatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That funds are 
hereby authorized to be appropriated without fiscal year limitation 
as the appropriation Act may provide for the use of the Department 
of Commerce, for the fiscal year 1973, as follows: 
(a) acquisition, construction, or reconstruction of vessels and 
construction-differential subsidy and cost of national defense fea-
tures incident to the construction, reconstruction, or recondition-
ing of ships, $280,000,000, of which $30,000,000 is for the purchase 
of modern or reconstructed United States-flag vessels for lay-up 
in the National Defense Keserve Fleet; 
(b) payment of obligations incurred for ship operation sub-
sidies, $232,000,000; 
(c) expenses necessary for research and development activities 
(including reimbursement of the Vessel Operations Revolving 
Fund for losses resulting from expenses of experimental ship 
operation), $30,000,000; 
(d) reserve fleet expenses, $3,900,000; 
(e) maritime training at the Merchant Marine Academy at 
Kin^s Point, New York, $7,854,000; and 
(f) financial assistance to State marine schools, $2,290,000. 
SEC. 2. Section 905 (a) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, is amended 
as follows: 
(1) By inserting after the words "except that"' the words "in the 
context of section 607 of this Act concerning capital construction 
funds and". 
(2) By striking out the words "to the extent provided in uniform 
regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Commerce". 
(3) By inserting oefore the period at tne end thereof the w^ords "in 
their operation or in competing for charters, subject to rules and 
Commerce De-
partment maritime 
programs. 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
52 Stat. 964; 
84 Stat. 1034. 
46 u s e 1244. 
84 Stat. 1026. 
46 u s e 1177.