GATHERING LINES.

SEC. 109. GATHERING LINES. (a) Definition of Transportation of Gas.— (1) Amendments.— Section 2(3) of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (49 U.S.C. App. 1671(3)) is amended— (A) by inserting “, other than gathering through regulated gathering lines,” after “include the gathering of gas”; and 106 STAT. 3295 (B) by inserting “, but such term shall include the movement of gas through regulated gathering lines” after “a nonrural area”. (2) Effective date.— The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the effective date of the regulations required under section 21 of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968, as added by subsection (b) of this section. (b) Regulations Defining Gathering Lines.— Such Act is further amended by adding at the end the following new section: “SEC. 21. GATHERING LINES. “(a) Gathering Lines Defined.— The Secretary shall, within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, define by regulation the term ‘gathering line’. In defining such term, the Secretary shall consider functional and operational characteristics of the lines to be included in the definition and shall not be bound by any classifications established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under the Natural Gas Act. “(b) Regulated Gathering Lines Defined.— The Secretary shall, within 3 years after the date of the enactment of this section, define by regulation the term ‘regulated gathering line’. In defining such term, the Secretary shall consider such factors as location, length of line from the well site, operating pressure, throughput, and the composition of the transported gas in determining the types of lines which are functionally gathering but which, due to specific physical characteristics, warrant regulation under this Act.”.