Review - HR 9338 Introduced – Pipeline Safety Authorization

 Back in June, Rep Weber (R,TX) introduced HR 9338, the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026. While the Pipeline Safety Regulations (PSR) do not require reauthorization to continue in force, Congress uses periodic authorization bills to update the various statutes that form the basis for those regulations. The bill does include authorization for the appropriation of funds from user fee accounts and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. 

Other Pending Pipeline Safety Bills  

The following bills introduced this session in the House are potentially competing pipeline safety bills: 

• HR 6187, the Wojnovich Pipeline Safety Act of 2025; no action,  
• HR 5537, the Pipeline Accountability Act of 2025; no action, and 
• HR 5301, the PIPES Act of 2025; ordered reported favorably. 

Committee Action  

One July 20th, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a business meeting where HR 9338 was considered. A hearing transcript is available here; the HR 9338 portion can be found on pages 86 thru 113. Substitute language was offered by Webber and approved by a vote of 41 to 8. 

That substitute language would add the following sections: 

• Section 10. Grant program to repair, rehabilitate, or replace natural gas distribution pipeline systems.  
• Section 11. Excavation damage prevention.  
• Section 13. Carbon dioxide.  
• Section 14. Biennial pipeline safety rulemaking backlog plan.  
• Section 15. Study and reports on Community Liaison Services. 

Moving Forward  

Webber is not a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to which this bill was assigned for primary consideration. Ordinarily, this means that there would be little chance that the bill would be considered by that Committee. But, since the Energy and Commerce Committee has secondary consideration for both this bill and HR 5301, select provisions from the version of this bill passed by ECC might be added by the Rules Committee to a version of HR 5301 considered by the Full House. That would be done to gain support from the Chair of the ECC for HR 5301. 

For more information on the provisions of this bill, and the legislative conflict with HR 5301, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-9338-introduced-pipeline-safety - subscription required. 

 

Review – HR 5301 Introduced – PIPES Act of 2025

Back in September Rep Graves (R,MO) introduced HR 5301, the Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2025. This is a periodic reauthorization of PHMSA’s pipeline safety program and includes spending authorization for multiple parts of that program (including grants) through 2029. It also provides Congress with an opportunity to provide guidance and direction on the Pipeline Safety Regulations (PSR).

HR 5301 is the latest version of the periodic ‘Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act’. The previous version, HR 6494, was introduced by Graves in November 2023. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a markup hearing in early December of 2023, and ordered the bill reported favorably by a voice vote. The Committee Report was published later that month. No other actions were taken on the bill in the 118^th Congress.

Sections of interest here include:

Section 2 Authorization of appropriations.
Section 3 Definitions.

Section 5 Regulatory updates.

Section 21 Penalty for causing a defect in or disrupting operation of pipeline infrastructure.

Section 24 Pipeline safety voluntary information-sharing system.

Section 31 Study on localized emergency alert system for pipeline facilities incidents.

Moving Forward

On September 17^th, 2025, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a business meeting that included consideration of HR 5301. At that meeting an amendment in the nature of a substitute was adopted and further amended. By a voice vote the Committee ordered the bill, as amended, ordered reported favorably. This should mean that there would be relatively strong bipartisan support for the bill on the floor of the House. The remaining issue that must be addressed before that floor consideration can proceed (almost certainly under the suspension of the rules process) will be to get acquiescence from the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to which this bill was assigned for secondary consideration.

 

For more information about the provisions of this bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-5301-introduced-pipes-act-of-2025 - subscription required.

Review - Bills Introduced – 9-11-25

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session, there were 88 bills introduced. Two of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 5301 To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide enhanced safety in pipeline transportation, and for other purposes. Graves, Sam [Rep.-R-MO-6]

HR 5304 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026.  Aderholt, Robert B. [Rep.-R-AL-4]

 

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118th, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-9-11-25 - subscription required.