Hearings

1 SEC. 3. The Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968

2 (82 Stat. 720) is amended by striking the first sentence of

paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of section 5 and inserting in 4 lieu thereof a new sentence to read as follows: "Upon ap5 plication, the Secretary is authorized to pay out of funds 6 appropriated or otherwise made available up to 50 per cen7 tum of the cost of the personnel, equipment, and activities of

a State agency reasonably required, during the ensuing fis9 cal year to carry out a safety program under a certification 10 under subsection (a) or an agreement under subsection (b) 11 of this section; or to act as agent of the Secretary in enforce

ing Federal safety standards for pipeline facilities or the 13 transportation of gas subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal

14 Power Commission under the Natural Gas Act."

SEC. 4. The Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 16 is further amended by adding at the end of subsection (c) 17 of section 5 the following:

"(4) On or before January 1 next preceding the com19 mencement of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall certify to 20 each such State agency the funds which he has apportioned 21 hereunder to each State for such fiscal year. As soon as prac

ticable after the apportionment has been made for each fiscal

year, the State agency of any State desiring to obtain finan

cial assistance shall submit to the Secretary for his approval

the State's safety program for the use of the funds appor

1 tioned for such fiscal year. The Secretary shall act on each 2 State program as soon as practicable after it has been sub3 mitted. The Secretary may approve any program in whole 4 or in part. His approval of any program shall be deemed a 5 contractural obligation of the Federal Government for the

payment of its apportioned contribution thereto. If a State

agency elects not to accept the funds apportioned to it, such 8 funds shall be reapportioned among the other States whose 9 State agencies are eligible to receive Federal funds under 10 this subsection.

"(5) The Secretary may, in his discretion, from time to time as work progresses make payment to a State agency for the annual program costs incurred by it. These payments

shall at no time exceed the Federal share of the program

costs incurred to the date of the voucher covering such pay

ment. After completion of an annual program and approval 17 of the final voucher by the Secretary, the State agency shall

be entitled to payment out of the appropriate funds appor

tioned to it of the unpaid balance of the Federal share on

account of such program. Such payments shall be made to

such official or officials or depository as may be designated

by the State agency and authorized under the laws of the

State to receive public funds of the State.

"(6) Upon application by the national organization of

the State commissions submitted on or before September

1 30 of any calendar year, the Secretary shall pay out of the 2 funds appropriated pursuant to this Act, or other available 3 funds, the sum of $20,000, plus such additional sums as he 4 deems justified, to such national organization, to pay, during 5 the ensuing calendar year, the reasonable cost of (i) con6 ducting training of State enforcement personnel,

(ii) fur7 nishing technical assistance, or (iii) other activities appro8 priate for the advancement of the safety programs of State 9 agencies carried on under this Act.

SEC. 4. Section 15 of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety 11 Act of 1968 is amended by inserting "(a)" immediately 12 after "SEC. 15." and by adding at the end thereof the fol13 lowing:

"(b) For the purpose of further aiding the Secretary 15 in providing financial assistance to State agencies pursuant to 16 section 5 (c) of this Act, there is hereby authorized to be 17 appropriated the additional sum of $

for the

18 fiscal year ending June 30, 1972; the additional sum of

for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973; and

20 the additional sum of

21 ing June 30, 1974."

for the fiscal year end

To amend the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That the first sentence of section 5 (a) of the Natural Gas 4 Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (49 U.S.C. 1674(a)) is 5 amended by striking out "two years" and inserting in lieu 6 thereof "four years".

7 SEC. 2. The first sentence of section 5 (c) (1) of such 8 Act (49 U.S.C 1674 (c) (1)) is amended to read as fol9 lows: "If an application is submitted not later than Septem10 ber 30 in any calendar year, the Secretary shall pay out of 11 all funds appropriated pursuant to section 15 for grants-in

1 aid for State safety programs up to 50 per centum of the 2 cost of the personnel, equipment, and activities of a State 3 agency reasonably required to carry out a safety program 4 under a certification under subsection (a) or an agreement 5 under subsection (b) of this section during the following 6 calendar year.".

SEC. 3. Section 15 of such Act (49 U.S.C. 1684) is

8 amended to read as follows:

"APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED

"SEC. 15. For the purpose of carrying out the provi11 sions of this Act over a period of three fiscal years, begin12 ning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 1972, there is 13 authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $3,000,000 for 14 the fiscal year ending June 30, 1972; not to exceed 15 $3,800,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973; and 16 not to exceed $5,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 17 1974.".

Passed the House of Representatives June 21, 1971.

Attest:

W. PAT JENNINGS,

Clerk.

« Previous Continue »

Books