Pipeline Safety Act of 2019

Pipeline Safety Act of 2019

This bill reauthorizes appropriations through FY2021 and provides direct hire authority for pipeline safety activities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4700 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4700

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize pipeline safety 
                   programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 16, 2019

    Mr. Upton (for himself, Mr. Walden, Mr. Latta, Mrs. Rodgers of 
   Washington, Mr. Flores, Mr. McKinley, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Olson, Mr. 
  Kinzinger, Mr. Bucshon, Mr. Griffith, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Mullin, Mr. 
Hudson, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, and Mr. Shimkus) 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 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize pipeline safety 
                   programs, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pipeline Safety Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Operational Expenses.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
to the Secretary of Transportation for the necessary operational 
expenses of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 
the following amounts:
            (1) $24,215,000 for fiscal year 2020.
            (2) $24,941,450 for fiscal year 2021.
    (b) Gas and Hazardous Liquid.--Section 60125(a) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (A) through 
        (D) and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) $160,800,000 for fiscal year 2020, of which 
                $10,000,000 shall be expended for carrying out such 
                section 12 and $60,000,000 shall be expended for making 
                grants; and
                    ``(B) $165,624,000 for fiscal year 2021 of which 
                $10,000,000 shall be expended for carrying out such 
                section 12 and $61,800,000 shall be expended for making 
                grants.'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraphs (A) through 
        (D) and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, of which 
                $5,000,000 shall be expended for carrying out such 
                section 12 and $9,000,000 shall be expended for making 
                grants; and
                    ``(B) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, of which 
                $5,000,000 shall be expended for carrying out such 
                section 12 and $9,000,000 shall be expended for making 
                grants.''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``$8,000,000 for each of 
        fiscal years 2017 through 2019'' and inserting ``$9,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2020 through 2021''.
    (c) Emergency Response Grants.--Section 60125(b)(2) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ``$10,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2012 through 2015'' and inserting ``$12,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2020 through 2021''.
    (d) Pipeline Safety Information Grants to Communities.--Section 
60130(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``section 2(b) of the PIPES Act of 2016, the Secretary shall expend 
$1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019 to carry out this 
section'' and inserting ``section 2(a) of the Pipeline Safety Act of 
2019, the Secretary shall expend $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2020 through 2021 to carry out this section''.
    (e) State Damage Prevention Programs.--Section 60134(i) of title 
49, United States Code is amended by striking ``$1,500,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2012 through 2015'' and inserting ``$2,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2020 through 2021''.
    (f) One-Call Notification Programs.--Section 6107 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ``$1,058,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2016 through 2019'' and inserting ``$2,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2020 through 2021''.

SEC. 3. PIPELINE SAFETY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Direct Hire Authority for Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Safety Administration.--
            (1) Authority.--The Administrator of the Pipeline and 
        Hazardous Materials Safety Administration may appoint qualified 
        candidates to positions described in paragraph (2) without 
        regard to sections 3309 through 3319 of title 5, United States 
        Code.
            (2) Applicability.--The authority under paragraph (1) 
        applies with respect to candidates for any position that would 
        likely allow increased activities relating to pipeline safety, 
        as determined by the Administrator.
            (3) Termination.--The authority to make appointments under 
        this subsection shall not be available after September 30, 
        2021.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter through calendar year 2021, the 
Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
Administration shall submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the 
Administration to hire women, minorities, and veterans as inspectors 
since January 1, 2012.
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