APPS’ federal government affairs program actively monitors Congress and the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for new rules impacting the pipeline surveyor profession and new opportunities to increase pipeline safety.

Recently, APPS reported on Congressional efforts to reauthorize PHMSA.

Lawmakers will need to quickly resolve significant differences to beat the clock on a reauthorization of the nation's pipeline safety regulators.

The authorization for the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration expires at the end of September, but neither the House nor Senate have passed legislation to extend it yet. That time crunch may result in a short-term extension as the two chambers look for common ground.

The Senate proposal, S. 2299, with bipartisan backing from Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) emphasizes liquefied natural gas.

The House bill, H.R. 3432, which has yet to advance out of the Energy and Commerce Committee as the two parties look for bipartisan compromise, has so far looked to introduce harsher penalties for safety violations.