EXCESS FLOW VALVES.

SEC. 104. EXCESS FLOW VALVES. Section 3 of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (49 U.S.C. App. 1672) is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(j) Excess Flow Valves.— 106 STAT. 3292 “(1) Regulations prescribing installation circumstances.— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall issue regulations prescribing the circumstances, if any, under which operators of natural gas distribution systems must install excess flow valves in such systems. In prescribing such circumstances, the Secretary shall consider— “(A) the system design pressure and the system operating pressure; “(B) the types of customers to which the distribution system supplies natural gas, including hospitals, schools, and commercial enterprises; “(C) the technical feasibility and cost of the installation of such valves; “(D) the public safety benefits of the installation of such valves; “(E) the location of customer meters; and “(F) such other factors as the Secretary determines to be relevant. “(2) Regulations prescribing notification to customers of availability.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall issue regulations requiring operators of natural gas distribution systems to notify, in writing, their customers with lines in which excess flow valves are not required by law, but can be installed in accordance with the performance standards developed under paragraph (4)— “(A) of the availability of excess flow valves for installation in such systems, “(B) of any safety benefits to be derived from the installation, and “(C) of any costs associated with the installation. Such regulations shall provide that, except in circumstances under which the installation is required under paragraph (1), excess flow valves shall be installed at the request of a customer if the customer will pay all costs associated with the installation. “(3) Report.— If the Secretary determines under paragraph (1) that there are no circumstances under which operators must install excess flow valves, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress, not later than 30 days after the date of such determination, a report on the reasons for such determination. “(4) Performance standards.— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall develop standards for the performance of excess flow valves used to protect lines in natural gas distribution systems. Such standards shall be incorporated into any regulations issued by the Secretary under tins subsection. All installations of excess flow valves shall be made in accordance with such standards. “(5) Applicability of regulations and standards.— Regulations and standards issued under paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) shall only apply to— “(A) natural gas distribution systems installed after the effective date of such regulations; and “(B) other natural gas distribution systems where repairs to such system require the replacement of parts106 STAT. 3293 in a manner to accommodate the installation of excess flow valves”.