SB 2971, the Plant Safety Authorities Coordination Act of 2025, would amend federal pipeline safety law in title 49 of the U.S. Code by narrowing what counts as “transporting gas.” The bill creates explicit exclusions for two categories of gas movement: certain gathering gas in rural areas outside designated nonrural areas, and gas moved by a plant owner or operator for use as fuel, feedstock, or another purpose directly supporting plant operations.
For plant-related movements, the bill would exclude gas moved through in-plant piping systems located entirely on plant grounds, as well as transfer piping systems extending less than one mile beyond the plant grounds. In practical terms, this would remove those short, plant-connected gas movements from the federal definition of transporting gas, which can affect whether they are regulated under federal pipeline safety requirements and instead leave more room for plant-specific safety oversight and coordination.
Impact
The bill would amend 49 U.S.C. 60101(a)(21), the statutory definition used in federal gas pipeline safety regulation, by carving out additional exclusions from “transporting gas.” This would likely reduce the scope of federal pipeline safety jurisdiction over certain on-site and near-site plant piping and over some rural gathering lines, shifting regulatory treatment for those systems and potentially affecting which entities must comply with federal pipeline safety standards, inspections, and enforcement. The affected parties would include industrial plant operators, pipeline operators, and regulators responsible for gas safety oversight.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and its procedural status, the measure appears to be a targeted, technical regulatory clarification rather than a broadly controversial policy change. There are no recorded votes or committee transcripts provided, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition in the available materials. The title and structure suggest the bill is framed as improving coordination of plant safety authorities and refining the boundary between plant operations and federal gas transportation regulation.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the balance between regulatory relief and safety oversight. Supporters would likely favor excluding short, plant-connected piping systems and certain rural gathering lines from the federal definition to avoid duplicative or mismatched regulation, while critics may worry that narrowing federal jurisdiction could leave gaps in oversight for gas movement near industrial facilities. Another possible issue is the one-mile threshold for transfer piping systems, which creates a bright-line rule that may be seen as either practical or arbitrary depending on the stakeholder.
PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025 Pipeline Integrity, Protection, and Enhancement for Leveraging Investments in the Nation's Energy to assure Safety Act of 2025