Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “LNG Coordination Act of 2024”.
LNG Coordination Act of 2024
A BILL
To establish a working group to coordinate regulatory oversight of liquefied natural gas facilities, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Liquefied natural gas regulatory coordination
Establishment and purpose— The Secretary of Transportation shall establish and convene a Liquefied Natural Gas Regulatory Safety Working Group through the National Center of Excellence for Liquefied Natural Gas Safety to clarify the authority of covered agencies in the authorizing and oversight of LNG facilities, other than peak shaving facilities, and improve coordination of the authority of such agencies.
Membership—
In general— The Working Group shall consist of representatives of covered agencies designated by the Secretary of Transportation or the head of a covered agency.
Chair— The Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or a designee of the Administrator, shall serve as the Chair of the Working Group, unless another member of the Working Group is selected by unanimous consent of the members of the Working Group.
Responsibilities of Chair— The Chair of the Working Group shall establish an agenda and schedule for the Working Group to accomplish the requirements described in subsection (c).
Evaluation—
In general— The Working Group shall evaluate the authorities of each covered agency pertaining to the siting and design, construction, operation and maintenance, and operational and process safety regulations of LNG facilities.
Negotiation— The Working Group shall negotiate the terms of agreements or memorandums between each covered agency pursuant to subsection (d) to establish procedures for—
the application of the respective authorities of each Federal agency in a manner that ensures, through effective regulation, that LNG facilities are safe and in the public interest;
resolving conflicts concerning overlapping jurisdiction among the covered agencies; and
avoiding, to the extent possible and if appropriate, conflicting or duplicative regulation, inspection protocols, and reporting obligations between the covered agencies.
Interagency agreements and memorandums of understanding— Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the covered agencies shall enter into interagency agreements or memorandums of understanding with respect to best practices and individual agency safety oversight and enforcement responsibilities regarding LNG facilities, other than peak shaving facilities.
Report to Congress— Not later than 1 year after the date on which the covered agencies enter into agreements or memorandums under subsection (d), the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on such agreements or memorandums entered into and how such agreements or memorandums have contributed to the improved safety and enforcement oversight coordination of LNG facilities.
Definitions— In this section:
Covered agency— The term covered agency means each of the following:
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The Department of Energy.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The Coast Guard.
LNG— The term LNG means liquefied natural gas.
Working Group— The term Working Group means the Liquefied Natural Gas Regulatory Safety Working Group established under subsection (a).