On September 17, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved PCCA-supported legislation to reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety programs for the next four years.
The Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2025 (H.R. 5301) aims to provide an efficient, effective framework to advance the safety of U.S. energy infrastructure.
“The PIPES Act of 2025 has strong bipartisan support, and PCCA encourages Congress to pass this important legislation as soon as possible to advance the safety and integrity of our nation’s energy infrastructure and underground utilities,” wrote PCCA in a letter of support to the T&I committee.
“In the face of increased pipeline construction and maintenance as a result of unprecedented demand for American energy, an updated and clear policy framework to advance the safety of pipeline infrastructure across the United States is needed,” PCCA wrote in a letter of support to the T&I committee. “PCCA supports Section 18 of the PIPES Act of 2025 concerning Excavation Damage Prevention that will strengthen underground utility damage prevention laws by encouraging and endorsing state implementation of best practices championed by the excavation community to protect critical buried pipelines and utilities.”
According to the Common Ground Alliance’s (CGA) Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report, the annual rate of damages to buried infrastructure in the U.S. has remained stagnant for most of the last decade and costs our communities a staggering $30 billion every year. Each of the hundreds of thousands of dig ins to underground utilities disrupts businesses and communities, cuts off essential utility service, and can result in injuries and fatalities.
“The legislation provides an efficient, effective framework to advance the safety and integrity of our nation’s energy infrastructure and buried utilities,” wrote the CGA’s Damage Prevention Action Center (DPAC) in a letter to the committee. “The PIPES Act of 2025 has strong bipartisan support, and we encourage Congress to consider this important legislation as soon as possible.”
“The bill improves and reemphasizes PHMSA’s safety mission, fosters collaboration and transparency at the agency, and advances traditional and emerging fuels and technology,” according to a T&I committee press release.
The PIPES Act of 2025 was introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO); Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA); Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster (R-FL); and Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Ranking Member Dina Titus (D-NV).
H.R. 5301 awaits additional review by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and an eventual full House vote.
The Senate has not introduced a companion bill yet, where Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.)––chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety––is expected to play a key leadership role in the fate of the PIPES Act.
Of note, in the 118th Congress, the PIPES Act of 2023 (H.R. 6494) was only passed out of the House T&I Committee.
PCCA members should expect additional grassroots activity on this bill as it matures through the legislative process.