[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4429 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4429

   To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
     Transportation to issue minimum uniform safety standards for 
  underground natural gas storage facilities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 2, 2016

  Mr. Knight introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
   Committee on 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 amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
     Transportation to issue minimum uniform safety standards for 
  underground natural gas storage 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 ``Natural Gas Leak Prevention Act of 
2016''.

SEC. 2. UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS STORAGE FACILITIES.

    (a) Defined Term.--Section 60101(a) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (21)(B), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (24), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in paragraph (25), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(26) `underground natural gas storage facility' means a 
        gas pipeline facility that stores gas in an underground 
        facility, including--
                    ``(A) a depleted hydrocarbon reservoir;
                    ``(B) an aquifer reservoir; or
                    ``(C) a solution mined salt cavern reservoir.''.
    (b) Standards for Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities.--
Chapter 601 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after section 60103 the following:
``Sec. 60103A. Standards for underground natural gas storage facilities
    ``(a) Minimum Uniform Safety Standards.--Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of 
Transportation, in consultation with the heads of other relevant 
Federal agencies, shall issue minimum uniform safety standards, 
incorporating, to the extent practicable, consensus standards for the 
operation, environmental protection, and integrity management of 
underground natural gas storage facilities.
    ``(b) Considerations.--In developing uniform safety standards under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) consider the economic impacts of the regulations on 
        individual gas customers to the extent practicable;
            ``(2) ensure that the regulations do not have a significant 
        economic impact on end users to the extent practicable; and
            ``(3) consider existing consensus standards.
    ``(c) User Fees.--
            ``(1) In general.--A fee shall be imposed on an entity 
        operating an underground natural gas storage facility to which 
        this section applies. Any such fee imposed shall be collected 
        before the end of the fiscal year to which it applies.
            ``(2) Means of collection.--The Secretary shall prescribe 
        procedures to collect fees under this subsection. The Secretary 
        may use a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United 
        States Government or of a State or local government to collect 
        the fee and may reimburse the department, agency, or 
        instrumentality a reasonable amount for its services.
            ``(3) Use of fees.--
                    ``(A) Account.--There is established an underground 
                natural gas storage facility safety account in the 
                Pipeline Safety Fund established under section 60301, 
                in the Treasury of the United States.
                    ``(B) Use of fees.--A fee collected under this 
                subsection--
                            ``(i) shall be deposited in the underground 
                        natural gas storage facility safety account; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) if the fee is related to an 
                        underground natural gas storage facility, may 
                        be used only for an activity related to 
                        underground natural gas storage safety under 
                        this section.
                    ``(C) Limitation.--Amounts collected under this 
                subsection shall be made available only to the extent 
                provided in advance in an appropriation law for an 
                activity related to underground natural gas storage 
                safety.
    ``(d) Rules of Construction.--
            ``(1) In general.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
        to affect any Federal regulation relating to gas pipeline 
        facilities that is in effect on the day before the date of 
        enactment of this section.
            ``(2) Limitations.--Nothing in this section may be 
        construed to authorize the Secretary--
                    ``(A) to prescribe the location of an underground 
                natural gas storage facility; or
                    ``(B) to require the Secretary's permission to 
                construct a facility referred to in subparagraph 
                (A).''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 601 is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 60103 the 
following:

``60103A. Standards for underground natural gas storage facilities.''.
                                 <all>