CUSTOMER-OWNED SERVICE LINES.

SEC. 115. CUSTOMER-OWNED SERVICE LINES. (a) Service Line Maintenance Information.— Section 18 of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (49 U.S.C. App. 1685) is amended— (1) by inserting “(a) Public Education Program.—” before “Each person”; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(b) Service Line Maintenance Information.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall issue regulations requiring operators of natural gas distribution pipelines which do not maintain customer-owned service lines up to building walls to advise their customers of the requirements for maintenance of those lines, any resources known to the operator that could aid customers in doing such maintenance, any information that the operator has concerning the operation and maintenance of its lines that could aid customers, and the potential hazards of not maintaining service lines.”. (b) Maintenance of Customer-Owned Service Lines.— (1) DOT safety review.— Within 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a review of Department of Transportation and State rules, policies, procedures, and other measures with106 STAT. 3297 respect to the safety of customer-owned natural gas service lines, including the effectiveness of such rules, policies, procedures, and other measures. The Secretary of Transportation shall include in the review an evaluation of the extent to which lack of maintenance of customer-owned natural gas service lines raises safety concerns and shall make recommendations regarding maintenance of such lines, including the need for any legislative changes or regulatory action. In conducting the review and developing the recommendations, the Secretary of Transportation shall consider the following factors: State and local law, including law governing private property and rights, and including State pipeline safety regulation of distribution operators; the views of State and local regulatory authorities; the extent of operator compliance with the program for advising customers regarding maintenance of such lines required under section 18(b) of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968; available accident information; the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board; costs; the civil liability implications of distribution operators taking responsibility for customer-owned service lines; and whether the service line maintenance information program required under such section 18(b) sufficiently addresses safety risks and concerns involving customer-owned service lines. (2) Operation and maintenance responsibility.— Within 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall conduct, with the participation of the operators of natural gas distribution facilities, a survey of owners of customer-owned service lines to determine the views of such owners regarding whether distribution companies should assume responsibility for the operation and maintenance of customer-owned service lines. In conducting the survey, the Secretary of Transportation shall ensure that such customers are aware of any potential safety benefits, any potential implementation issues (including any property rights or cost issues), the recommendations of the National Transportation Safely Board, and accidents that have occurred, related to customer-owned service lines. (3) Applicability.— Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (relating to coordination of Federal information policy) shall not apply to the conduct of the review or survey under this subsection. (4) Report.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall transmit to Congress a report on the results of the review and survey conducted under this subsection, together with any recommendations (including legislative recommendations) regarding maintenance of customer-owned natural gas service lines. (c) Safety Measures.— Section 3 of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (14 U.S.C. App. 1672) is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(k) Safety Measures.—The Secretary shall, within 1 year after transmitting the report required by section 115(b) of the Pipeline Safety Act of 1992, taking into consideration such report, and in cooperation and coordination with appropriate State and local authorities, take action, as appropriate, to promote the adop-106 STAT. 3298tion of measures that would improve the safety of customer-owned service lines.”.