Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act gives the Department of Energy an explicit program role for natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and liquefied natural gas facilities. DOE must improve coordination among federal agencies, States, and the energy sector; lead coordinated response and recovery for physical and cyber incidents affecting the energy sector; develop voluntary advanced cybersecurity applications and technologies; run pilot demonstrations with energy-sector representatives; develop workforce-development curricula; and provide technical tools for voluntary security evaluations and improvements. A savings clause preserves other agencies' physical-security and cybersecurity authority for pipelines and LNG facilities.
Who Benefits and How
Pipeline operators and LNG facility owners benefit from voluntary technical tools, pilot demonstrations, workforce curricula, and cybersecurity applications tailored to their infrastructure. State energy and emergency-management agencies benefit from clearer federal coordination channels for cyber or physical incidents affecting fuel supply. Cybersecurity vendors, trainers, and energy-sector workforce programs benefit from DOE-supported technology development and curricula. Energy consumers benefit indirectly when pipelines and LNG facilities become more resilient against cyberattacks or physical disruptions.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Energy Department must build and operate the program, coordinate with other federal agencies and States, lead response and recovery planning, develop voluntary tools and technologies, run pilots, and produce workforce curricula. Pipeline and LNG operators that participate must devote staff time to pilots, voluntary evaluations, and implementation of recommended security improvements. Other federal regulators retain their existing authorities, so DOE must coordinate without overriding TSA, PHMSA, FERC, or other agency roles. States must engage in planning and response coordination when energy-sector incidents occur.
Key Provisions
- Requires DOE to improve coordination among federal agencies, States, and the energy sector for pipeline and LNG security.
- Directs DOE to lead coordinated response and recovery for physical and cyber incidents affecting the energy sector.
- Authorizes voluntary cybersecurity applications, technologies, pilot demonstrations, workforce curricula, and technical tools for pipeline and LNG facilities.
- Preserves other federal agencies' existing physical-security and cybersecurity authorities through a savings clause.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Directs the Energy Department to run a pipeline and LNG physical-security and cybersecurity preparedness program covering coordination, incident response and recovery, voluntary cyber technologies, pilot demonstrations, workforce curricula, and technical tools.
Key Policy Areas
Energy, Cybersecurity, Government
Primary Purpose
Directs the Energy Department to run a pipeline and LNG physical-security and cybersecurity preparedness program covering coordination, incident response and recovery, voluntary cyber technologies, pilot demonstrations, workforce curricula, and technical tools.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Pipeline operators
- LNG facility owners
- State energy agencies
- Cybersecurity vendors
- Energy consumers
Identified Costs
- Department of Energy
- Pipeline operators
- LNG facility owners
- Other federal pipeline regulators
- State emergency-management agencies
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeForwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Mr. Weber of Texas (for himself and Mrs. Dingell) introduced …
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Department of Energy, Other federal pipeline regulators
Positive-direction: Other federal pipeline regulators
Negative-direction: Department of Energy
State emergency-management agencies, State energy agencies
Positive-direction: State energy agencies
Negative-direction: State emergency-management agencies
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology