House Committee Bill Includes Pipeline Security Study

By American Petroleum Institute 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security approved a bill to reauthorize federal government homeland security programs. A substitute amendment to H.R. 2825, the DHS Authorization Act of 2017 offered by the committee chairman and adopted by the committee included a requirement on the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study regarding the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) with respect to pipeline security. 

Section 588 beginning on page 292 of the substitute amendment would require the study address whether the memorandum of agreement between DHS and DOT adequately delineates strategic and operational responsibilities for pipeline security, including whether it is clear which department is responsible for protecting against intentional pipeline breaches and cyber attacks, responding to intentional pipeline breaches and cyber attacks, and planning to recover from such attacks. 

The study would also address whether it is clear the respective roles and responsibilities of each department are adequately conveyed to relevant stakeholders and whether the processes and procedures for determining whether a particular pipeline breach is a terrorist incident are clear and effective. Under the bill, GAO must submit within 180 days findings of the study to DHS and Congress. 

Not later than 90 days after submission of the report, DHS must review, analyze and make any recommendations for changes to the MOU or other improvements to pipeline security activities at DHS. Before becoming law, the bill must pass the House, a version must pass the Senate, differences between House and Senate versions resolved and an enacted version signed by the president.