Last month Rep Johnson (D,TX) introduced HR 5062, the Pipeline Security Act. The bill would amend the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 by adding a new §1559, Pipeline Security. It would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to take actions to regulate the cybersecurity protection of hazardous material pipelines. No new funding is authorized.
The bill is similar in intent to HR 9469, the Pipeline Security Act, that was introduced by Rep Garcia (D,CA) in September 2024. The House Homeland Security Committee held a business meeting on September 25th, 2024 where the bill was considered. The bill was amended and passed on a voice vote. No report was published nor was a revised version of the bill published. No further action was taken in the House. The earlier bill would have amended 49 USC 114 to specifically add pipeline cybersecurity to the list of responsibilities of the Transportation Security Administration.
Moving Forward
On September 3rd, 2025 the House Homeland Security Committee held a business meeting that included the consideration of HR 5062. By a vote of 22 to 0 the Committee, the bill was ordered reported favorably without amendment. That bipartisan support would indicate that the bill could be considered in the House under the suspension of the rules process, where the bill should pass with significant bipartisan support.
Commentary
The reality is that this bill is going to codify
responsibility for actions that TSA is already taking. Bills such as this,
however, are important in that they provide a legal backstop for charges that
the agency has exceeded its authority. The current authority under 49 USC 114
is broadly written and could be argued to support the agency’s security
directives and current rulemaking process.
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