Pipeline operators could face higher fines and broader criminal penalties for serious safety problems. The bill also funds safety programs, creates a private safety data-sharing system, and pushes states to improve call-before-you-dig rules.
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Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026 is a House bill in committee. The latest recorded action: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Latest action on H.R. 9338: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Who this affects: This bill mainly affects pipeline operators, state pipeline safety offices, the Department of Transportation, construction and excavation crews, and people who live or work near pipelines. Operators would face higher penalties and new rules for hearings, waivers, and data sharing. States would be pushed to improve call-before-you-dig programs. Communities could be affected by changes that aim to reduce leaks, explosions, service disruptions, and damage to buried lines.
Why this matters: Pipeline failures can cause fires, explosions, spills, shutdowns, and harm to nearby communities. This bill tries to lower those risks by funding safety work, raising penalties, and improving data about hazards and near misses. It could also reduce damage from digging near buried lines. But the new safety data system keeps much of its information confidential, so the public may not see all of what companies report.
You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.
