HR1182-119

What This Bill Does

The Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety and Oversight Improvements Act tightens regulations on foreign companies that manufacture compressed gas cylinders (like propane tanks, welding gas tanks, and medical oxygen cylinders) sold in the United States. It reduces approval periods from indefinite to just one year by default, requires extensive disclosure about ties to sanctioned countries and trade violations, and gives the government new authority to inspect foreign facilities and suspend approvals if manufacturers obstruct inspections or misrepresent information.

Who Benefits and How

Domestic compressed gas cylinder manufacturers gain a significant competitive advantage as the bill creates substantial barriers for foreign competitors, especially those from China and other countries on U.S. defense restriction lists. These domestic manufacturers will face less foreign competition and have opportunities to petition the government to challenge foreign competitors' approvals. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) gains expanded enforcement authority, and companies can petition to have foreign competitors re-evaluated based on safety concerns.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Foreign manufacturers of compressed gas cylinders face dramatically increased compliance costs and barriers to market access. They must renew approvals annually (instead of indefinitely), answer detailed questions about ownership ties to sanctioned entities and military end-user lists, submit to more frequent inspections, and can be denied or suspended based on connections to countries like China or past trade violations. U.S. importers and distributors who rely on foreign cylinders face higher costs and supply chain disruptions. End users of compressed gas cylinders—including welding companies, hospitals, industrial gas users, and others—may face higher prices if foreign supply is restricted and domestic manufacturers raise prices.

Key Provisions

• Reduces foreign manufacturer approvals from indefinite to 1-year periods (5 years only if manufacturers meet strict compliance requirements and attest they have no ties to forced labor, sanctioned entities, or countries on military restriction lists)
• Requires foreign manufacturers to disclose any connections to entities on the Military End User List, Defense Department restriction lists, or those subject to antidumping/countervailing duty orders
• Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to suspend or terminate approvals if manufacturers obstruct inspections or knowingly misrepresent information
• Creates a new petition process allowing "interested parties" (likely domestic competitors) to request re-evaluation of foreign manufacturer approvals based on safety or accuracy concerns
• Mandates 30-day public comment periods for all new foreign manufacturer applications with publication on PHMSA's website
• Expands inspection authority to include annual inspections when there is "good cause," refusal of inspection results in loss of "good standing" status, and allows cost recovery for all foreign inspection expenses including travel