The House Energy and Commerce Committee unveiled a new, bipartisan bill to reauthorize pipeline safety programs Monday after years of party-line haggling over fossil fuel expansion and punishments for protesters.
The revamped version comes in the form of a substitute amendment to the original bill, the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act, H.R. 9338, from Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas). It will be marked up Tuesday during a marathon committee session that will also feature bills on data centers and the electric grid.
The compromise measure marks a significant leap forward for the committee, which has been stuck on how to revamp the federal pipeline regulator for years.
The bill is the result of months of negotiations across the aisle and takes a new tack on major issues that have dogged the panel in past attempts, including how to deal with protesters who damage pipelines.
