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 – Bills Introduced – 6-17 thru 6-19-26

Congress.gov had some operational issues this week that made it difficult to look at the bills that were introduced on 17th, 18th, and 19th. Those issues appear to be fixed at this point, so this post will look at bills introduced during that period. The Senate was in session on the 17th and 18th, and the House met in pro forma session on the 18th. A total of 117 bills were introduced during this period. One of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog: 

HR 9338 To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve the safety of pipeline transportation, and for other purposes. Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] 

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118th Congress, as well as a mention in passing of a bill stopping prior authorization requirements for repairs to powered wheelchairs, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-6-17-thru-6-19-26 - subscription required.