S. 2979 — PHMSA Voluntary Information Sharing Act

This section establishes a confidential, nonpunitive voluntary information-sharing system (VIS) to gather, evaluate, and share pipeline safety data, recommended remediation measures, and lessons learned across the gas transmission, gas distribution, liquefied natural gas facility, underground natural gas storage facility, and hazardous liquid pipeline sectors. The VIS must be established by the Secretary of Transportation not later than one year after enactment and implemented in accordance with the Pipeline Safety Voluntary Information-Sharing System Recommendation Report prepared under the PIPES Act of 2016. The VIS is governed by a 15-member Governing Board established by the PHMSA Administrator not later than 180 days after enactment, comprising (1) five representatives from federal, state, or territorial governments (including the Administrator or designee); (2) five from the gas or hazardous liquid pipeline industry (e.g., operators, trade associations, vendors, standards organizations); and (3) five from public safety advocacy organizations (e.g., pipeline safety and environmental groups, universities, labor organizations). Board members serve three-year terms (with staggered initial terms of one, two, or three years), co-chaired by the Administrator (or designee), an industry representative, and a pipeline safety public interest representative; the Board provides strategic oversight, develops governance documents, appoints a Third-Party Data Manager, and approves data acceptance criteria. The VIS receives support from a Program Manager, the Third-Party Data Manager, and Issue Analysis Teams.