To amend title 49, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement for cost-benefit analyses in the establishment of minimum safety standards for pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The PIPE Act of 2023 (Penalizing and Improving Prevention of Emergencies Act) strengthens federal pipeline safety regulations by removing cost-benefit analysis requirements that currently slow down the establishment of safety standards. It also creates new prohibitions on pipeline releases and expands criminal liability for pipeline operators who act recklessly.
Who Benefits and How
Pipeline safety regulators benefit by gaining the ability to set minimum safety standards more quickly without being required to conduct lengthy cost-benefit analyses for each new rule. The general public benefits from potentially faster implementation of safety standards and stronger deterrence against pipeline accidents, as operators now face criminal penalties for reckless conduct that leads to releases.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Pipeline companies face increased regulatory burden in several ways: safety standards that previously only applied to new pipelines may now apply to existing pipelines; they face new prohibitions against releasing gas or hazardous liquids; and they can now be criminally prosecuted for reckless conduct (not just knowing and willful violations). The expanded definition of "knowingly" means companies can be held liable even when a "reasonable person" would have known about the violation.
Key Provisions
- Eliminates cost-benefit analysis requirements for establishing minimum pipeline safety standards, allowing regulators to set standards based purely on safety considerations
- Removes grandfather clause for existing pipelines, meaning new safety standards may now apply to pipelines that were previously exempt
- Creates new prohibition on releasing gas or hazardous liquids from pipeline facilities in quantities that would require incident reporting
- Expands criminal liability by adding "recklessly" alongside "knowingly and willfully" as a basis for criminal prosecution
- Broadens definition of knowledge so that a person "acts knowingly" when a reasonable person would have had that knowledge, lowering the bar for prosecution
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Amends title 49 of the United States Code to eliminate cost-benefit analyses in establishing minimum safety standards for pipeline transportation and facilities, and imposes penalties for unauthorized releases.
Key Policy Areas
Transportation, Safety
Primary Purpose
Amends title 49 of the United States Code to eliminate cost-benefit analyses in establishing minimum safety standards for pipeline transportation and facilities, and imposes penalties for unauthorized releases.
Policy Domains
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was read twice …
Impact analysis is available but no clear stakeholder effects identified. View clause-level analysis →
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Transportation
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.
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