Bill Text: CA AB1653 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 1653 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2018-02-01 - Died at Desk. [AB1653 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB1653-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1653

Introduced by Assembly Member Kiley

February 17, 2017

An act to amend Section 950 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to natural gas.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1653, as introduced, Kiley. Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011.

The Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011 designates the Public Utilities Commission as the state authority responsible for regulating and enforcing federal law with respect to intrastate gas pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities, including the development, submission, and administration of a state pipeline safety program certification for natural gas pipelines. Existing law defines various terms for purposes of the act.

This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that provision.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 950 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

950.

For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Commission-regulated gas pipeline facility” means an intrastate gas pipeline ~~facility~~ facility, as defined in Section 60101 of Title 49 of the United States Code, that is subject to the safety regulatory authority of the commission to the extent authorized in the certification submitted by the commission and approved by the United States Secretary of Transportation pursuant to Section 60105 of Title 49 of the United States Code, including each of the following pipelines:

(1) An intrastate distribution line, which is a pipeline that is not subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pursuant to Section 717(b) of Title 15 of the United States Code because it is used for the local distribution of natural gas.

(2) An intrastate transmission line, which is a transmission pipeline that the commission, pursuant to Section 717(c) of Title 15 of the United States Code, has certified to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as being subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of the commission over rates and service. For these purposes, a transmission pipeline means a pipeline other than a gathering line that: (A) transports gas from a gathering line or storage facility to a distribution center, storage facility, or large volume customer that is not downstream from a distribution center, (B) operates at a hoop stress of 20 percent or more of specified minimum yield strength, or (C) transports gas within a storage field.

(3) An intrastate gathering line, which is a pipeline that transports gas from a current production facility to a transmission line or main.

(4) A mobilehome park master-metered natural gas distribution system that is subject to the commission’s safety inspection and enforcement program pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4351) of Division 2.

(5) A propane distribution system that is subject to the commission’s safety inspection and enforcement program pursuant to Chapter 4.1 (commencing with Section 4451) of Division 2.

(b) “Compatible emergency response standards” means emergency response standards that are applicable to intrastate transmission and distribution lines that are in addition to, or more stringent than, the minimum safety standards adopted by the United States Department of Transportation pursuant to Chapter 601 (commencing with Section 60101) of Subtitle VIII of Title 49 of the United States Code and that the commission is authorized to adopt pursuant to Section 60104(c) of that chapter.

(c) “High consequence area” has the same meaning as defined in the regulations adopted by the United States Department of Transportation pursuant to Chapter 601 (commencing with Section 60101) of Subtitle VIII of Title 49 of the United States Code (49 C.F.R. 192.903, as adopted January 1, 2011, or a successor regulation).