Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety Act of 2025: U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure PHMSA Reauthorization Bill

H.R. 5301 has been introduced into the United States House of Representatives which is titled:

Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2025 (“PIPES Act”).

The PIPES Act was introduced by:

• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (Missouri).
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (Washington).
• Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster (Florida).
• Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Ranking Member Dina Titus (Nevada).

H.R. 5301 is described in a Committee on Transportation Infrastructure news release as a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (“PHMSA”) pipeline safety programs for the next four years. An added purpose is described as providing an efficient, effective framework to advance the safety of U.S. energy infrastructure was introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Key objectives of the PIPES Act of 2025 include:

• Improves and Reemphasizes PHMSA’s Safety Mission.
  • Directs PHMSA to move forward rulemakings allowed by Congress in previous laws to improve pipeline operations.
  • Strengthens criminal penalties for pipeline damage or disruption.
  • Increases civil penalties on operators that violate safety rules.
  • Authorizes the hiring of additional pipeline safety experts to address workforce shortages.
  • Updates best practices for preventing excavation damage.
  • Establishes a voluntary safety information sharing system for pipeline operators
  • Directs the National Academies to study PHMSA’s integrity management regulations and their impact on safety.
• Fosters Collaboration and Transparency.
  • Improves clarity, transparency, and accountability at PHMSA.
  • Requires PHMSA to maintain a list of industry standards considered for adoption and the agency’s adjudication of those standards.
  • Improves PHMSA’s public outreach and engagement efforts.
  • Makes publicly available a report of PHMSA’s inspection and enforcement priorities.
  • Permits pipeline operators to develop alternative methods of maintaining pipeline infrastructure rights-of-way.
  • Encourages the issuance of guidance to improve pipeline safety information sharing with the public.
  • Increases the available funding for small and mid-sized educational institutions to participate in PHMSA’s competitive academic agreement program efforts.
• Advances Traditional and Emerging Fuels and Technology.
  • Supports the safe operations of both traditional and innovative, emerging energy sources and the technology to support them.
  • Strengthening the foundation for an all-of-the-above American energy future. 
  • Authorizes a study of current hydrogen blending projects.
  • Requires PHMSA to complete a rulemaking on standards for the transportation and temporary storage of carbon dioxide.
  • Directs a study of composite pipeline material for potential hydrogen service.
  • Creates a federal working group to clarify regulation and oversight of liquefied natural gas facilities.

A copy of a section-by-section summary of the PIPES Act and the full text of the bill can be found here.