PRINTER'S NO. 2284
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1700
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY COMITTA, C. QUINN, KINSEY, V. BROWN, DEAN, BARRAR,
KRUEGER-BRANEKY, D. COSTA, DERMODY, HANNA, MARKOSEK,
McCARTER, DeLUCA, SAINATO, DALEY, FREEMAN, FITZGERALD, HILL-
EVANS, HARPER, HAGGERTY, MILNE, ROE, LEWIS, RAVENSTAHL,
SCHWEYER, HENNESSEY AND CORBIN, AUGUST 15, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
AUGUST 15, 2017
AN ACT
Establishing the Pipeline Safety and Communication Board and
providing for its powers and duties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pipeline
Safety and Communication Board Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Board." The Pipeline Safety and Communication Board
established in section 3(a).
"Commonwealth agency." The term includes:
(1) The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
(2) The Department of Environmental Protection.
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(3) The Department of Health.
(4) The Department of Transportation.
(5) The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
(6) The Office of State Fire Commissioner.
"Pipeline." A pipeline used to transport oil, natural gas or
nongas liquids in this Commonwealth.
Section 3. Pipeline Safety and Communication Board.
(a) Establishment.--The Pipeline Safety and Communication
Board is established as an independent administrative board and
shall consist of the following members:
(1) The following State officials:
(i) The chairperson of the Pennsylvania Public
Utility Commission.
(ii) The Secretary of Environmental Protection.
(iii) The Secretary of Health.
(iv) The Secretary of Transportation.
(v) The Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency.
(vi) The State Fire Commissioner.
(vii) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
(viii) The Majority Leader of the Senate.
(ix) The Majority Whip of the Senate.
(x) The Minority Leader of the Senate.
(xi) The Minority Whip of the Senate.
(xii) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(xiii) The Majority Leader of the House of
Representatives.
(xiv) The Majority Whip of the House of
Representatives.
(xv) The Minority Leader of the House of
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Representatives.
(xvi) The Minority Whip of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Six members to be appointed by the Governor, who
shall be operators or owners of interstate or intrastate
pipelines located or under construction in this Commonwealth.
(b) Designee.--A member of the board under subsection (a)(1)
may appoint a designee who must be an employee of the same
agency as the member to attend meetings.
(c) Term of office.--
(1) Except as provided under paragraph (2), members
appointed by the Governor shall be appointed to terms of two
years and are eligible for reappointment.
(2) The Governor shall make the initial appointments of
members under subsection (a)(2) within 90 days of the
effective date of this paragraph. Initial terms for members
appointed by the Governor shall be divided between one-year
and two-year terms.
(3) The Governor may remove an appointed member of the
board for cause upon written notice to the board.
(4) A member's nonparticipation in three consecutive
board meetings may be considered cause for removal.
(d) Organization.--The board shall elect a chairperson by
majority vote and may adopt any bylaws or procedures it deems
necessary to accomplish its purpose.
(e) Meetings.--The board shall meet at least once quarterly
and shall hold other meetings as the board deems necessary. The
board is authorized to establish rules of operation.
(f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the board shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and all
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actions of the board shall be by the approval of a majority of
all the members of the board.
(g) Compensation.--The members of the board shall serve
without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their actual
and necessary travel and other expenses in connection with
attendance at meetings called by the chairperson.
(h) Records.--The board shall keep a record of all
proceedings which shall be open to inspection by the public.
Section 4. Powers and duties of board.
Subject to section 5, the board shall have the following
powers and duties:
(1) To collect and disseminate to the public information
of Commonwealth agencies relative to the planning, siting,
construction, operation, maintenance, management, inspection
and safety of and emergency response procedures for
pipelines.
(2) To coordinate communications relating to pipeline
activities with Federal, State and local government agencies
and regulatory authorities, pipeline companies and the
public.
Section 5. Access to information and records.
(a) Interagency cooperation.--Commonwealth agencies that
have information relating to pipelines shall cooperate in
providing the information, upon request, to the board.
(b) Logging of information.--When the board collects
information relating to pipelines from a Commonwealth agency,
the board shall log in the information and the Commonwealth
agency.
(c) Right-to-Know requests.--If the board receives a request
under the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the
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Right-to-Know Law, for information collected by the board from a
Commonwealth agency, the board shall immediately forward the
request to the Commonwealth agency for review and response,
under the Right-to-Know Law, unless otherwise directed by the
Commonwealth agency in writing to the board.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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