S 2508 Introduced – Pipeline Leak Detection

Last month Sen Luján introduced S 2508, the Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair Act of 2025. The bill would provide an effective date for the “the final rule of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued under section 60102(q) of title 49, United States Code, on January 17, 2025, relating to “Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair” (Docket No. PHMSA–2021–0039; RIN 2137–AF51) [link added]”. No new funding is authorized.

This bill is a companion bill (identical language) to HR 4818 that was introduced on the same day in the House.

Moving Forward

Luján, along with three of his six cosponsors {Sen Markey (D,M), Sen Hickenlooper (D,CO), and Sen Fetterman (D,PA)}, are members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. While this provides a technical possibility of there being sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee, the referenced rulemaking would run afoul of the Republican energy agenda (the reason it was pulled by the new Administration). This means that there is practically no possibility of this bill being taken up by the Committee, much less the full Senate.

Review – HR 4818 Introduced – Pipeline Leak Detection

Last month Rep Peters (D,CA) introduced HR 4818, the Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair Act of 2025. The bill would provide an effective date for the “the final rule of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued under section 60102(q) of title 49, United States Code, on January 17, 2025, relating to “Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair” (Docket No. PHMSA–2021–0039; RIN 2137–AF51) [link added]”. No new funding is authorized.

The Rulemaking

On October 18^th, 2024, PHMSA sent a final rule to the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review. On January 17^th, 2025 (effectively the last day of the Biden Administration) OIRA announced that it had ‘concluded action’ on that final rule. Typically, this means that the rule should be sent to the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) for printing. In this case, however, OIRA’s announced final action was characterized as “Statutory or Judicial Deadline”.

No Final Rule was published in the Federal Register. Of course, on January 20^th, 2025 (the next business day in Washington) the new President was inaugurated and almost immediately signed the expected executive memorandum freezing all ongoing rulemaking activities. Section 1 of that order would have prohibited DOT from sending this rulemaking to the OFR. Section 2 would have required any rule that had been sent to the OFR, but not published in the FR, to be withdrawn for review.

Moving Forward

While Peters is not a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to which this bill was assigned for primary consideration, one of his five co-sponsors {Rep Huffman (D,CA)} is a member of the Committee. That means that there could be (theoretically) enough influence to see this bill considered in Committee. Unfortunately, the expected provisions of the regulation conflict with the Republican energy agenda which is a high priority in the 119^th Congress. That means that there is almost no chance of this bill seeing the light of day in a hearing room, much less on the floor of the House.

 

For more information on the background about the underlying rulemaking, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-4818-introduced-pipeline-leak   - subscription required.

Review - Bills Introduced – 7-29-25

On Tuesday, with the Senate in Washington and the House meeting in pro forma session, there were 101 bills introduced. Two of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 4818 To give effect to a final rule of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration relating to gas pipeline leak detection and repair, and for other purposes. Peters, Scott H. [Rep.-D-CA-50]

S 2508 A bill to give effect to a final rule of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration relating to gas pipeline leak detection and repair, and for other purposes. Luján, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118th, as well as a mention in passing of a military drone development bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-7-29-25 - subscription required.

Review - HR 4818 Introduced - National Digital Reserve Corps

 Last month, Rep Gonzales (R,TX) introduced HR 4818, the National Digital Reserve Corps Act. The bill would establish within the General Services Administration (GSA) a ‘National Digital Reserve Corps’, to help address the digital and cybersecurity needs of Executive agencies. The bill would add a new Chapter 103 to 5 USC. The bill would authorize $30 million for this new program. This bill would establish a more extensive organization than the one envisioned in either HR 2894 or S 1324.

While Gonzales is not a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration, one of his five cosponsors {Rep Kelly (D,IL)} is a member. That means that it is possible that there is sufficient influence to see this bill considered in Committee. While I see nothing in this bill that would engender any specific organized opposition, it seems to me that there could be a lack of support for the bill due to some missing critical provisions (see my commentary). I am not sure if this bill could pass, as written, in Committee.

I will have to wait and see how the bill performs (and/or is amended) in Committee before I can make any prognostications on how it might move to the floor of the House for consideration.

 

For more details about the bill, as well as my analysis of its shortcomings and possible fixed, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-4818-introduced - subscription required. 

Bills Introduced – 7-29-21

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in Washington, and the House preparing to depart for their Summer Recess, there were 132 bills introduced. One of those bills may receive additional attention in this blog:

HR 4818 To amend title 5, United States Code, to establish a National Digital Reserve Corps to help address the digital and cybersecurity needs of Executive agencies, and for other purposes. Gonzales, Tony [R-TX-23]

While I will be watching this bill for control system related definitions and language, I typically follow most bills that tend to increase the nation’s cybersecurity workforce.