Pipeline Safety, Modernization, and Expansion Act of 2024

This bill amends title 49 of the United States Code to improve pipeline transportation safety, modernize regulations, and expand pipeline infrastructure. It covers definitions, safety standards, carbon dioxide pipelines, worker safety zones, natural gas leak elimination, technical committees, hearings, permits, penalties, funding, operating pressure, safety programs, information sharing, excavation damage prevention, consumer fuel choice, pipeline modernization, regulatory updates, class location changes, breakout tank inspections, LNG coordination, and a hydrogen study.

Sec. 2, Definitions: Amends the definition of gas gathering lines to exclude certain rural gathering and in-plant or short transfer piping systems at production, refining, or manufacturing facilities.

Sec. 3, Minimum safety standards: Requires the Secretary to consider safety and economic benefits within the United States when setting minimum safety standards, and to explicitly consider economic and environmental benefits within the United States.

Sec. 4, Regulation of carbon dioxide pipeline facilities: Requires the Secretary to issue final rules within one year for transporting carbon dioxide in liquid and gaseous states, and adds leak detection and response requirements for carbon dioxide pipelines.

Sec. 5, Purpose and general authority: Requires the Secretary to prescribe a safety standard within one year for worker and public safety zones at pipeline construction, replacement, or repair sites, where only authorized persons are permitted.

Sec. 6, Eliminating hazardous natural gas leaks: Amends provisions to focus on eliminating natural gas leaks from gas pipeline facilities.

Sec. 7, Technical safety standards committees: Requires the Secretary to report to Congress and the public within 15 days if rejecting a committee's conclusions, and limits committee meetings to two times.

Sec. 8, Opportunity for formal hearing: Provides for a formal hearing in enforcement matters involving a notice of probable violation, and requires the Secretary to publish public hearing protocols within one year.

Sec. 9, Special permit program: Limits waiver terms to known risks, requires Federal Register publication of applications, and sets an 18-month review deadline. A report to Congress is due within two years.

Sec. 10, Strengthening penalties for pipeline safety violations: Expands penalties to include impairing the operation of a pipeline facility and damaging or destroying a facility under construction.

Sec. 11, Authorization levels: Authorizes $150 million per year from fees for fiscal years 2024-2028 for gas and hazardous liquid pipeline safety, with $9 million for a specific program and $75 million for grants, plus $28 million per year from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for hazardous liquid.

Sec. 12, Maximum allowable operating pressure: Allows operators to use prior testing records to reconfirm maximum allowable operating pressure for gas transmission lines, and creates a working group to report on testing records.

Sec. 13, Pipeline safety enhancement programs: Requires the Secretary to establish testing programs from 2024-2030, limits testing to 5% of total pipeline miles and 50% of an operator's system or 1,000 miles, and extends program durations.

Sec. 14, Pipeline safety voluntary information-sharing system: Establishes a confidential voluntary information-sharing system for pipeline safety data, with a governing board appointed within 180 days.

Sec. 15, Excavation damage prevention: Requires states to adopt leading practices for one-call notification programs, including ticket size, longevity, and exemption limits, to qualify for grants.

Sec. 16, Protecting fuel choice for consumers: Prohibits states or municipalities from adopting laws that limit or prohibit the transportation or distribution of energy sources via pipeline.

Sec. 17, Modernizing and expanding pipelines: Allows the Commission to issue federal authorizations for pipeline construction or expansion if a permitting entity waives authority or fails to complete a proceeding within one year.

Sec. 18, Regulatory updates: Requires the Secretary to submit reports every 90 days on the status of final rules for outstanding pipeline safety regulations until all are issued.

Sec. 19, Class location changes: Requires the Secretary to issue a final rule within 90 days on class location change safety standards based on a 2020 proposed rulemaking.

Sec. 20, Inspection of in-service breakout tanks: Requires the Secretary within one year to review and amend safety standards to allow risk-based inspections for in-service breakout tank bottoms if equivalent safety is achieved.

Sec. 21, Liquefied natural gas regulatory coordination: Establishes a working group to clarify and improve coordination of agency authority over LNG facilities, excluding peak shaving facilities.

Sec. 22, Hydrogen study: Requires the Comptroller General to study changes to gas pipeline facilities for transporting gas blends with over 5% hydrogen, including technical challenges and international practices.