H.R. 6187 — Wojnovich Pipeline Safety Act of 2025

This section establishes a grant program under the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to improve the safety and modernization of hazardous liquid distribution infrastructure. Eligible recipients are municipalities in states that comply with disclosure requirements under section 4 or non-profit community-owned utilities in such states, which may use grant funds through public-private partnerships. The Secretary of Transportation must issue a notice of funding opportunity within 180 days of funds availability, make awards within 270 days thereafter based on applicants' pipeline risk profiles (including leak-prone pipes), job creation potential, and economic impacts, and limit awards to no more than 12.5% of funds for any single recipient. Authorizes $100 million annually for FY2026 through FY2030, with up to 2% for administrative costs and 0.5% transferred to the Department of Transportation Inspector General for oversight.

This section directs the Secretary of Transportation to update the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) website to improve ease of use and public accessibility. The update must include (1) easily readable reporting of each accident and incident, including details of such accident or incident; and (2) remediation status updates provided by operators and posted on the website at least every 90 days until remediation is complete.

This section conditions state eligibility for grants under section 2 on requiring real estate contracts to disclose known hazardous liquid pipeline easements regulated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within one-half mile of the property, including the operator's name and contact information, pipeline name and substance, repairs in the prior 10 years, and the operator's leaks, failures, accidents, or incidents in the state in the prior 10 years. PHMSA must collect and publicly post this information on its website. This section amends pipeline operator emergency response plans to require a community involvement strategy for informing and liaising with affected landowners and homeowners following a release (49 U.S.C. 60102(d)(5)). This section directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue a final rule within 18 months requiring each hazardous liquid pipeline operator to establish a localized emergency alert system for communities within 1 mile of the pipeline—or enter state agreements to use state alert systems—for leaks, failures, accidents, or incidents. This section further directs the Secretary to issue a final rule within 18 months requiring (1) a standard, timely process for operators to conduct in-person tests of water, soil, or air for potential leaks or failures; (2) water tests on any well within one-half mile of a leak, accident, incident, or failure, with samples from both the top and bottom of the well; (3) annual in-line inspection tool tests for pipelines older than 50 years or with sleeve repairs; and (4) notification to impacted residents and landowners of positive contamination tests.

This section establishes a $2,500,000 annual penalty, levied by the Secretary against operators of hazardous liquid pipeline facilities that declare a leak, accident, incident, or failure, until the Secretary certifies remediation. It doubles the penalty to $5,000,000 for operators that fail to declare within 15 days of knowing of such an event.

This section directs the Secretary of Transportation, not later than 30 days after receiving a declaration from an operator of a hazardous liquid pipeline facility of an event (i.e., leak, accident, incident, or failure), to make available funds to reimburse eligible entities—defined as state or local emergency response groups (e.g., law enforcement agencies, fire departments, emergency response agencies) in affected areas—for costs including (1) replacing damaged, contaminated, or unusable equipment used in response; (2) overtime pay for firefighters, law enforcement officers, or other emergency responders; (3) operational response costs; (4) other event-related purposes, as determined by the Secretary; and (5) retroactive costs incurred after the event or within 30 days of reimbursement receipt.

This section establishes within the Treasury the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Community Trust Fund, administered by the Secretary of Transportation. Penalties collected pursuant to section 5 of this Act are deposited into the fund, from which the Secretary makes disbursements to carry out sections 2 and 6.

This section requires the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than 180 days after enactment and quarterly thereafter, reports detailing industry knowledge or developments regarding hazardous liquid pipeline safety and integrity. It further requires the Administrator to incorporate relevant information from these reports into PHMSA regulations, guidance, recommendations, advisories, or notices.

This section establishes the Office of Public Engagement by renaming the Community Liaison Services within the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) Office of Pipeline Safety, not later than one year after enactment. The office must (1) proactively engage pipeline stakeholders—including the public, operators, public safety organizations, and state, local, and Tribal officials—to raise awareness of safety practices; (2) promote adoption of safety programs and activities; (3) inform the public of pipeline safety regulations and best practices; and (4) assist the public with inquiries; ensure its activities and information products are publicly accessible; incorporate community liaison positions and include liaisons (or provide detailed updates) in meetings on proposed safety orders; and submit an implementation report to Congress not later than 18 months after enactment.