Bill Text: TX HB864 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to pipeline incidents; clarifying changes to related administrative penalties.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-2)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB864 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB864-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to pipeline incidents; clarifying changes to related administrative penalties.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-2)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB864 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB864-Introduced.html
86R2567 BRG-D | ||
By: Anchia | H.B. No. 864 |
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relating to pipeline incident reporting requirements for gas | ||
pipeline operators; clarifying changes to related administrative | ||
penalties. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Sections 121.206(a) and (d), Utilities Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) The railroad commission may assess an administrative | ||
penalty against a person who violates Section 121.201 or a safety | ||
standard or other rule prescribed or adopted under this subchapter | ||
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(d) The railroad commission by rule shall adopt guidelines | ||
to be used in determining the amount of a penalty under this | ||
subchapter. The guidelines shall include a penalty calculation | ||
worksheet that specifies the typical penalty for certain | ||
violations, circumstances justifying enhancement of a penalty and | ||
the amount of the enhancement, and circumstances justifying a | ||
reduction in a penalty and the amount of the reduction. The | ||
guidelines shall take into account: | ||
(1) the person's history of previous violations of | ||
Section 121.201 or a safety standard or other rule prescribed or | ||
adopted under this subchapter [ |
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of previous violations; | ||
(2) the seriousness of the violation and of any | ||
pollution resulting from the violation; | ||
(3) any hazard to the health or safety of the public; | ||
(4) the degree of culpability; | ||
(5) the demonstrated good faith of the person charged; | ||
and | ||
(6) any other factor the commission considers | ||
relevant. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 121, Utilities Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 121.215 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 121.215. PIPELINE INCIDENT REPORTING. (a) In this | ||
section, "pipeline incident" means an event involving a release of | ||
gas from a pipeline that results in one or more of the following | ||
consequences: | ||
(1) a death or a personal injury necessitating | ||
in-patient hospitalization; | ||
(2) estimated property damage of $50,000 or more, | ||
including loss to the operator, loss to others, or both, but | ||
excluding cost of gas lost; or | ||
(3) unintentional estimated gas loss of three million | ||
cubic feet or more. | ||
(b) The railroad commission by rule shall require a | ||
distribution gas pipeline facility operator to provide the | ||
following information to the commission after a pipeline incident: | ||
(1) the pipeline operator's name and telephone number; | ||
(2) the location of the incident; | ||
(3) the time of the incident; | ||
(4) the fatalities and personal injuries caused by the | ||
incident; | ||
(5) the telephone number of the operator's on-site | ||
person; | ||
(6) the cost of gas lost; | ||
(7) estimated property damage to the operator and | ||
others; and | ||
(8) any other significant facts relevant to the | ||
incident, including facts related to ignition, explosion, | ||
rerouting of traffic, evacuation of a building, and media interest. | ||
SECTION 3. The Railroad Commission of Texas shall adopt the | ||
rules required by Section 121.215, Utilities Code, as added by this | ||
Act, not later than December 31, 2019. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |