[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3929 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3929

  To provide for the establishment of a cooperative Federal research, 
   development, and demonstration program to ensure the integrity of 
              pipeline facilities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2002

 Mr. Hall of Texas (for himself, Mr. Smith of Texas, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. 
Boehlert, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Calvert, 
and Mr. Shows) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
      Committee on Science, and in addition to the Committees on 
   Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the establishment of a cooperative Federal research, 
   development, and demonstration program to ensure the integrity of 
              pipeline facilities, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Energy Pipeline Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines are a key 
        component of the energy infrastructure of the United States;
            (2) many of these pipelines are aging facilities and 
        therefore more susceptible to failure;
            (3) these facilities, with their unprotected rights-of-way, 
        are also highly vulnerable to terrorist attacks and other 
        disruptions;
            (4) interruptions in service on major pipelines, whether a 
        result of pipeline failure or purposeful action, can have 
        enormous consequences for the economy and security of the 
        United States;
            (5) new energy sources such as hydrogen will require a new 
        generation of pipelines; and
            (6) a more coordinated research, development, 
        demonstration, and standardization program is needed to ensure 
        the use of existing technologies and the development of new 
        technologies to increase the safety and security of these 
        critical facilities.

SEC. 3. PIPELINE INTEGRITY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) Establishment of Cooperative Program.--
            (1) In general.--The heads of the participating agencies 
        shall develop and implement a program of research, development, 
        demonstration, and standardization to ensure the integrity of 
        pipeline facilities.
            (2) Elements.--The program shall include research, 
        development, demonstration, and standardization activities 
        related to--
                    (A) materials research and inspection;
                    (B) stress and fracture analysis, and detection of 
                cracks, corrosion, abrasion, and other abnormalities 
                inside pipelines that lead to pipeline failure;
                    (C) leak detection technologies, including 
                detection of leaks at very low volumes;
                    (D) flow metering and methods of analyzing content 
                of pipeline throughput;
                    (E) pipeline security, including improving the 
                surveillance of pipeline rights-of-way;
                    (F) risk assessment methodology;
                    (G) information systems surety; and
                    (H) other elements the heads of the participating 
                agencies consider appropriate.
            (3) Activities and capabilities report.--Not later than 6 
        months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        participating agencies shall transmit to the Congress a report 
        on the activities and capabilities of the participating 
        agencies, including the national laboratories, and any other 
        Federal agencies that are relevant to or could contribute to 
        research, development, demonstration, and standardization 
        activities under the program plan prepared under this section.
    (b) Program Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the participating agencies shall 
        prepare and transmit to Congress a 5-year program plan to guide 
        activities under this section. Such program plan shall be 
        submitted to the Pipeline Integrity Technical Advisory 
        Committee established under subsection (c) for review, and the 
        report to Congress shall include the comments of the Advisory 
        Committee. The 5-year program plan shall describe related 
        activities of Federal agencies that are not participating 
        agencies.
            (2) Consultation.--In preparing the program plan, the 
        participating agencies shall consult with appropriate 
        representatives of State and local government and the private 
        sector, including the gas, crude oil, and petroleum product 
        pipeline industries, to help establish program priorities and 
        to select and prioritize appropriate project proposals.
            (3) Advice from other entities.--In preparing the program 
        plan, the participating agencies may also seek the advice of 
        other Federal agencies, utilities, manufacturers, institutions 
        of higher learning, pipeline research institutions, national 
        laboratories, environmental organizations, pipeline safety 
        advocates, professional and technical societies, and any other 
        appropriate entities.
    (c) Pipeline Integrity Technical Advisory Committee.--
            (1) Establishment.--The participating agencies shall 
        establish and manage a Pipeline Integrity Technical Advisory 
        Committee (in this subsection referred to as the ``Advisory 
        Committee''). The Advisory Committee shall be established not 
        later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.
            (2) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall--
                    (A) advise the participating agencies on the 
                development and implementation of the program plan 
                prepared under subsection (b); and
                    (B) have a continuing role in evaluating the 
                progress and results of research, development, 
                demonstration, and standardization activities carried 
                out under this section.
            (3) Membership.--
                    (A) Appointment.--The Advisory Committee shall be 
                composed of--
                            (i) 3 members appointed by the Secretary of 
                        Energy;
                            (ii) 3 members appointed by the Secretary 
                        of Transportation; and
                            (iii) 3 members appointed by the Director 
                        of the National Institute of Standards and 
                        Technology.
                In making such appointments, the participating agencies 
                shall seek recommendations from the National Academy of 
                Sciences.
                    (B) Qualifications.--Members appointed to the 
                Advisory Committee shall have experience or be 
                technically qualified, by training or knowledge, in the 
                operations of either the hazardous liquid or gas 
                pipeline industries, and have experience in the 
                research and development of pipeline or related 
                technologies.
                    (C) Compensation.--The members of the Advisory 
                Committee shall serve without compensation, but shall 
                receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
                subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 
                of title 5, United States Code.
            (4) Meetings.--The Advisory Committee shall meet at least 4 
        times each year.
            (5) Termination.--The Advisory Committee shall terminate 5 
        years after its establishment.
    (d) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the participating 
agencies shall each transmit to the Congress a report on the status and 
results to date of the implementation of their portion of the program 
plan prepared under subsection (b).

SEC. 4. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the participating agencies shall enter into a memorandum of 
understanding detailing their respective responsibilities under this 
Act, consistent with the activities and capabilities identified under 
section 3(a)(3). Each of the participating agencies shall have the 
primary responsibility for ensuring that the elements of the program 
plan within their jurisdiction are implemented in accordance with this 
Act. The Department of Transportation's responsibilities shall reflect 
its expertise in pipeline inspection and information systems surety. 
The Department of Energy's responsibilities shall reflect its expertise 
in low-volume leak detection and surveillance technologies. The 
National Institute of Standards and Technology's responsibilities shall 
reflect its expertise in standards and materials research.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) to the Secretary of Energy $10,000,000;
            (2) to the Secretary of Transportation $5,000,000; and
            (3) to the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
        $5,000,000,
for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2006 for carrying out this 
Act.

SEC. 6. DEFINITION.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``participating agencies'' means 
the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, and the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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