The Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety Act of 2023, also known as the PIPES Act of 2023, includes various sections that outline its objectives, such as funding, development of the workforce, updates to regulations, and safety advancements. The act also explains that in this context, the term "State" refers to its definition in section 60101(a) of title 49 of the United States Code.

This section of the bill outlines the authorized funding amounts from 2024 to 2027 for various pipeline safety and program improvements. It specifies different allocations for gas and hazardous liquid projects, operational expenses, one-call notification programs, emergency response grants, community safety information, technical assistance, damage prevention, and pipeline integrity, with detailed amounts for each fiscal year.

The bill updates definitions in the legal code to include references to carbon dioxide, such as adding definitions for "carbon dioxide," "carbon dioxide pipeline facility," and distinguishes between interstate and intrastate carbon dioxide pipeline facilities. It also introduces terms like "de-identified," and defines both "non-public pipeline safety data and information" and "public information." Additionally, the bill provides a definition for "Tribal" in the context of Indian Tribes.

The section allows for the hiring of up to 30 more employees with specialized expertise to help develop pipeline safety policies. It also requires the Secretary of Transportation to report to Congress on the progress of hiring efforts and any staffing challenges or needs, and permits waiving certain regulations to implement hiring incentives.

The section discusses the definition and handling of "outstanding mandates," which are final rules related to pipeline safety that have not yet been published in the Federal Register. It requires the Secretary of Transportation to update the public and Congress every 30 days about these rules' progress, detailing work plans, timelines, and any delays due to resource issues.

The bill requires that at least every four years, the Secretary of Transportation reviews and updates the safety standards for federal pipelines, using industry standards where practical. It also mandates maintaining a public list of these standards, explaining any that weren't adopted, and ensuring these standards are freely available online. Within two years, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will report on compliance with these requirements.

The section outlines the requirements for the Secretary of Transportation to publish a report detailing the inspection and enforcement priorities for pipeline safety. This report, available online, will cover the years 2024 to 2027 and explain how these priorities will enhance safety and coordinate with regional offices and state inspectors. Additionally, starting the next year, an annual summary of pipeline inspections, including details such as inspection dates, pipeline operators, and any violations found, must be publicly accessible by June 1.

The section outlines amendments to the United States Code regarding technical safety standards committees. It specifies when committee reports should mention standards as applicable, mandates written notifications of reasons for decisions to Congress committees, and changes the frequency of committee meetings from four times a year to two.

Congress believes that the Secretary of Transportation should involve pipeline stakeholders and the public before creating new pipeline rules to better understand different viewpoints and speed up the process. In addition, when it could make reviewing public feedback faster, the Administrator should share why certain regulatory decisions are made to help people provide clearer comments.

The Secretary of Transportation is required to rename the Community Liaison Services to the Office of Public Engagement within one year of the Act's enactment. This Office is tasked with educating and engaging the public and stakeholders on pipeline safety, promoting safety programs, providing public information on safety regulations, and assisting with safety inquiries. Additionally, the Office will include community liaison roles and must submit a report to Congress on its progress within 18 months.

The Secretary of Transportation must create a final rule within 90 days to update safety standards for class location changes in pipelines, based on a previous proposal from 2020.

The proposed amendments to Section 60143(b) of title 49, United States Code, as part of the PIPES Act of 2023, require the Secretary to issue a notice about new pipeline safety rules for idled gas and hazardous liquid pipelines within 180 days, also advising that any new regulations should consider existing industry standards.

The amendment to Section 60108(a) introduces an optional program allowing pipeline operators to use alternative methods for maintaining rights-of-way if they achieve the same safety standards required by law. These methods can include ecosystem-friendly practices such as integrated vegetation management and promoting habitats for wildlife, as long as they follow existing regulations and seek guidance from relevant authorities or industry best practices.

The Secretary of Transportation must complete a study within 18 months to evaluate the use of composite materials for pipelines transporting hydrogen and hydrogen mixed with natural gas, considering available materials, tests, and standards. The study process includes public input through meetings and comment periods, and the Secretary will hold a public meeting to present findings before initiating rulemaking to potentially authorize the use of these materials.

The section outlines that the Secretary of Transportation can offer full financial support to projects by small and mid-sized academic institutions under the Competitive Academic Agreement Program, as long as these institutions submit a written request before receiving the funds. It also mandates the Secretary to report to Congress on the grant recipients, including those who received full funding.

The section mandates that the Comptroller General of the United States must create a report within a year, assessing federal and state requirements and industry practices for the safe design and maintenance of pipelines against natural disasters, like earthquakes and floods. Once the report is prepared, it must be submitted to relevant congressional committees and the Secretary of Transportation, along with any recommended actions based on the findings.

The section introduces changes to how special permits for pipeline safety risks are processed. It requires the Secretary of Transportation to follow specific guidelines for waivers, publish application notices, complete reviews within 18 months, and report to Congress on the implementation and effectiveness of these changes. Additionally, a report by the General Accountability Office will assess compliance with these procedures.

The section amends U.S. laws to improve excavation damage prevention by requiring State programs to adopt leading practices such as defining excavation activities, requiring the use of technologies to locate underground facilities, and specifying training for excavators. It also mandates reports to Congress on the implementation of these practices and considers various factors, like enforcement of one-call laws and data reporting requirements, when evaluating State damage prevention programs.

The Secretary of Transportation must quickly partner with the National Academies to study the effectiveness of rules managing the safety and integrity of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. This study will analyze past and current safety measures, consult various stakeholders, and provide a report to Congress within two years.

The section outlines a directive for a study by the Comptroller General of the United States on natural gas pipelines with more than 5% hydrogen to identify operational changes and challenges in using hydrogen-natural gas blends. The study will inform future regulations, and results will be reported to Congress within a year, but rulemaking may proceed before the report is submitted.

The bill adds penalties for anyone who knowingly causes damage to parts of a pipeline or disrupts the pipeline's operation without authorization. If someone is found guilty of such actions, they could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine, or both.

The bill proposes to change a part of the United States Code by increasing the maximum civil penalties from $2,000,000 to $2,500,000.

The section establishes a Working Group led by the Secretary of Transportation to improve the coordination and regulation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, excluding peak shaving facilities, by clarifying the roles of different federal agencies. It mandates that the group create agreements on how to handle safety, avoid conflicts, and coordinate oversight, with a report on their progress to be submitted to Congress.

The proposed amendment to the United States Code establishes a confidential Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) aimed at improving pipeline safety by encouraging the sharing of safety data among various stakeholders, while ensuring the confidentiality of non-public information. It outlines the governance, management, and confidentiality provisions, specifies reporting obligations, and provides authorization for funding from 2024 to 2027.

The section creates a Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) to enhance pipeline safety by sharing data and lessons learned without penalties. The system will be run by a Governing Board and include contributions from various stakeholders. The data shared is to remain confidential unless it's used for safety improvements, and the system is protected from being used in legal actions or accessed through requests under public records laws.

The section of the bill amends various sections of title 49, United States Code, to include carbon dioxide pipelines in the regulations that already apply to gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. It sets out requirements for pipeline safety standards, emergency response, and public education, as well as addressing issues like maintenance, inspections, and the use of dispersion modeling to manage the risks associated with carbon dioxide transportation.

The section outlines amendments to the law that provide respondents in certain enforcement matters relating to transportation an opportunity for a formal hearing before an administrative law judge if the proposed civil penalty or cost of compliance is at least $125,000. It also requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish protocols for public hearings and report on the use and outcomes of the formal hearing process.

The section amends the United States Code to require that pipeline safety grants reports include a summary of amounts claimed and reimbursed in the past three years, and provide an estimate of the funding needed to cover 80% of program costs for the following year.

The section mandates that within one year, the Secretary of Transportation must review and possibly update safety standards to allow risk-based inspections of breakout tank bottoms. If these standards are updated, they must be as safe as the current standards and consider guidelines from the American Petroleum Institute's 2014 edition.

The Secretary of Transportation is required to assess how gas, hazardous liquid, and carbon dioxide pipeline facility owners and operators share safety information with the public and emergency responders, considering various factors like regulations, data sharing, and communication methods. After consulting with relevant stakeholders, the Secretary must report findings to Congress and may issue guidance to improve information sharing and pipeline safety.

The Secretary of Transportation must evaluate certain pipeline safety definitions within one year to see if they adequately protect buildings and outdoor areas. This includes considering changes to how many people must occupy an area for it to be significant, whether standardizing these numbers would improve safety, and if defining 20 or more persons in an area for at least 50 days a year would enhance safety and efficiency. If needed, the Secretary will update the definitions to better protect against pipeline incidents.

The bill section requires the Secretary of Transportation to commission a study with the National Academies to examine the costs associated with pipeline failures or shutdowns, including financial impacts, emergency response costs, and the economic effects of such events. The study will involve consulting various stakeholders and experts, and the results will be reported to Congress once completed.

The document outlines a study that the U.S. Comptroller General must conduct to evaluate the need for a localized emergency alert system for pipeline facilities. This study, due 18 months from the law's enactment, will explore the system's feasibility, coordination with existing alert systems, stakeholder impacts, necessary technology, and legal considerations, ultimately recommending whether federal requirements are needed to implement such a system.

In this section of the bill, it outlines changes to the regulations regarding the maximum allowable operating pressure of natural gas transmission pipelines. It establishes a working group to provide recommendations on testing procedures, and mandates that the Secretary of Transportation initiate a rulemaking process to update regulations based on the working group's report.