Review - HR 3488 Introduced – Valve Standards Expansion

Back in May, Rep Carbajal (D,CA) introduced HR 3488, Valve Safety Fairness Act of 2025. The bill would require PHMSA to take such actions as are necessary to apply the final rule of the Administration, titled “Pipeline Safety: Requirement of Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection Standards”, to Type A gas gathering lines. While the rulemaking did apply to Type A gas gathering lines, that specific coverage was vacated by the United States Court of Appeals for The District of Columbia Circuit. No new funding is authorized by the bill.

This bill is essentially identical to HR 6496, the Valve Safety Fairness Act of 2023, that was introduced by Carbajal in November 2023. No action was taken on the bill in the 118^th Congress.

Congressional Response

The short text in this bill would provide PHMSA with the authority to bypass the pubic comment and response process with a directed final rule to implement the requirements in the rulemaking for application to Type A gas gathering lines.

Moving Forward

Carbajal and his sole cosponsor {Rep Brownley (D,CA)} are both members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to which the bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there could be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. I expect that there will be significant Republican opposition to this bill as it would shortcut industry efforts to stop application of this final rule to Type A gathering lines. I do not expect the Committee to take up this bill.

 

For more details about the provisions of the bill and its legislative and legal background, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-3488-introduced-valve-standards - subscription required.

Review - HR 6496 Introduced – Valve Standards Expansion

Last week, Rep Carbajal (D,CA) introduced HR 6496, the Valve Safety Fairness Act of 2023. The bill would require PHMSA to take such actions as are necessary to apply the final rule of the Administration, titled “Pipeline Safety: Requirement of Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection Standards”, to Type A gas gathering lines. While the rulemaking did apply to Type A gas gathering lines, that specific coverage was vacated by the United States Court of Appeals for The District of Columbia Circuit. No new funding is authorized by the bill.

Moving Forward

Carbajal and his sole cosponsor {Rep Brownley (D,CA)} are both members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to which the bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there could be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. I expect that there will be significant Republican opposition to this bill as it would shortcut industry efforts to stop application of this final rule to Type A gathering lines. I do not expect the Committee to take up this bill.

Commentary

While this bill is limited to ensuring that new Type A gathering lines are covered by the requirements for rupture mitigation valves on new or replacement pipelines, Carbajal has requested that the Committee include an expanded requirement for installing RMVs on existing pipelines.

 

For more information about the background for this legislation, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-6496-introduced - subscription required.

Bills Introduced – 11-29-23

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session, there were 35 bills introduced. Four of those bills will receive additional attention in this blog:

HR 6494 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 6496 To require the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to apply the final rule relating to valve installation and minimum rupture detection standards to Type A gas gathering lines, and for other purposes. Carbajal, Salud O. [Rep.-D-CA-24]

HR 6509 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Transportation to establish a confidential voluntary information-sharing system to encourage the sharing of pipeline safety data, and for other purposes. Molinaro, Marcus J. [Rep.-R-NY-19]

HR 6510 To direct the Secretary of Transportation to study certain composite material pipelines, and for other purposes. Molinaro, Marcus J. [Rep.-R-NY-19]

It looks like Graves, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has introduced the latest PHMSA pipeline safety reauthorization bill and two committee members had concerns that were not addressed in that bill.