BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1792

By: Paddie

Energy Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that certain Texas statutes relating to pipeline safety reflect superseded and outdated federal law and should be updated to reflect the most current federal law.  H.B. 1792 seeks to address this issue by updating certain statutes relating to safety standards and practices applicable to the transportation by pipeline of certain substances.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1792 amends the Natural Resources Code to redefine "hazardous liquid" as applicable to provisions relating to the hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline transportation industry to include nonpetroleum fuel, including biofuel, that is flammable, toxic, or corrosive or would be harmful to the environment if released in significant quantities. The bill further redefines the term, in the specification regarding an included substance or material that is not liquefied natural gas and is determined by the U.S. secretary of transportation to pose an unreasonable risk to life or property when transported in a liquid state by a pipeline facility, to instead specify such pipeline facility as a hazardous liquid pipeline facility.

H.B. 1792 updates references to federal law regarding the following: the definition of "intrastate gas pipeline facility" applicable to provisions relating to underground storage facilities for natural gas; a storage facility exempt from such provisions; pipeline transportation of hazardous liquids or carbon dioxide, and hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline facilities, over which the Railroad Commission of Texas has jurisdiction; safety standards adopted by the railroad commission by rule for and practices applicable to the intrastate transportation of hazardous liquids or carbon dioxide by pipeline and intrastate hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline facilities; required records, reports, and information of each owner or operator of a pipeline engaged in the transportation of hazardous liquids or carbon dioxide within the state; compliance by the railroad commission with federal law; the definitions of "salt dome storage of hazardous liquids" and "safety standards or practices" applicable to provisions relating to hazardous liquid salt dome storage facilities; and safety standards and practices relating to salt dome storage of hazardous liquids adopted by rule by the railroad commission for a storage facility that is part of an intrastate pipeline facility.

H.B. 1792 amends the Utilities Code to update references to federal law regarding gas pipeline safety rules the railroad commission is authorized to adopt and regarding an interstate gas pipeline facility that is exempt from sour gas pipeline facilities provisions.

H.B. 1792 amends the Water Code to update references to federal law regarding an exemption from provisions relating to underground and aboveground storage tanks for an interstate pipeline facility or an aboveground storage tank connected to such a facility.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.