Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026

This bill amends title 49 of the United States Code to improve pipeline safety. It updates definitions, safety standards, enforcement procedures, the special permit program, penalties, and authorization levels, and establishes a voluntary information-sharing system and new requirements for state excavation damage prevention programs.

Sec. 2, Definitions: The bill revises the definition of a pipeline facility to exclude certain gathering gas in rural areas and piping systems that directly support onshore production, refining, or manufacturing facilities, including in-plant systems and transfer piping systems less than one mile outside the facility boundary.

Sec. 3, Minimum safety standards: The bill requires the Secretary to consider safety and economic benefits and costs within the United States when prescribing minimum safety standards, and to explicitly consider safety, economic, and environmental benefits within the United States when determining whether a standard is practicable.

Sec. 4, Opportunity for formal hearing: The bill amends enforcement procedures to require the Secretary to provide an opportunity for a formal hearing in enforcement matters where the cost of compliance exceeds $125,000 or the proposed civil penalty is $125,000 or more. It also requires the Secretary to publish protocols for public hearings within one year.

Sec. 5, Special permit program: The bill limits the terms the Secretary can impose on waivers to those that apply to known pipeline safety risks, requires publication of waiver applications in the Federal Register, and sets an 18-month deadline for the Secretary to review each application. It also requires reports to Congress and a GAO report on implementation.

Sec. 6, Strengthening penalties for pipeline safety violations: The bill expands criminal penalties to include impairing the operation of a pipeline facility and damaging or destroying a pipeline facility under construction.

Sec. 7, Authorization levels: The bill authorizes $180,786,000 per year from fees for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for gas and hazardous liquid pipeline safety, with specific amounts for certain programs and grants. It also authorizes $30,000,000 per year from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and $7,000,000 per year from underground natural gas storage facility safety fees.

Sec. 8, Pipeline safety voluntary information-sharing system: The bill establishes a confidential voluntary information-sharing system (VIS) governed by a 15-member board representing federal/state governments, industry, and public safety. The system will gather and share pipeline safety data, with confidentiality protections, and is not to be used for enforcement. It includes provisions for a third-party data manager and issue analysis teams.

Sec. 9, Excavation damage prevention: The bill requires states to adopt leading practices for one-call notification programs, including ticket size and longevity, limiting exemptions, tolerance zones, emergency notification, excavator responsibilities, white lining, positive response, locatable facilities, marking lines and laterals, training, and technology use. It also requires reports to Congress on adoption and damage rates, and adds considerations for state damage prevention program grants, including enforcement, data reporting, and performance measures.

Sec. 10, Civil penalties: The bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a pipeline safety violation from $200,000 to $341,200 per day, and the maximum for a series of violations from $2,000,000 to $3,412,000.

Sec. 11, User fees: The bill amends user fee provisions to specify that fees collected remain available in the Pipeline Safety Fund until expended.