HB 1526 — An Act amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in powers and duties, providing for degraded natural gas pipeline prevention plans.

PRINTER'S NO.     1783

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1526
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SANCHEZ, HARKINS, OTTEN AND
        RIVERA, MAY 29, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION, TECHNOLOGY AND
        UTILITIES, MAY 30, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in powers and duties, providing for
 3      degraded natural gas pipeline prevention plans.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.    Title 66 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 8   § 531.   Degraded natural gas pipeline prevention plans.
 9      (a)   Commission duties.--The commission shall:
10            (1)   Establish a system to receive annual reports from
11      natural gas distribution companies required under subsection
12      (b) to issue a degraded natural gas pipeline prevention plan.
13            (2)   Prepare guidance for natural gas distribution
14      companies on how to determine the integrity of their natural
15      gas distribution systems.
16            (3)   Provide guidance on mitigating threats to existing
17      Aldyl A polyethylene natural gas pipelines and other
18      potentially compromised plastic pipelines.
 1            (4)   Prescribe the methodology to be used by natural gas
 2      distribution companies to mitigate insufficient records
 3      necessary to identify each pipeline segment containing Aldyl
 4      A polyethylene piping.
 5            (5)   Provide guidance to determine the placement of
 6      critical valves to ensure that natural gas distribution
 7      companies are considering potential risks, emergency response
 8      times and any threat to the nearby population.
 9            (6)   Provide recommendations and best practices on the
10      placement of critical valves.
11      (b)   Duty to issue plan.--Within one year after the effective
12   date of this section, and every January 1 thereafter, a natural
13   gas distribution company operating in this Commonwealth shall
14   issue to the commission a degraded natural gas pipeline
15   prevention plan that contains:
16            (1)   An inventory of all Aldyl A polyethylene natural gas
17      assets recording the following:
18                  (i)    The age of the Aldyl A polyethylene natural gas
19            asset.
20                  (ii)    Any sign of degradation of a pipeline or
21            junction.
22                  (iii)    Potential local environmental threats,
23            including increased room temperatures, other compromised
24            systems in the building, the presence of steam or
25            environmental factors that could degrade the natural gas
26            asset.
27                  (iv)    Any other information deemed necessary by the
28            commission.
29            (2)   Procedures for:
30                  (i)    Notification to building owners of all Aldyl A

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 1            polyethylene natural gas assets that are located in
 2            elevated temperature environments that could be subject
 3            to degradation and schedule the replacement of those
 4            natural gas assets.
 5                (ii)    Scheduling the replacement of any Aldyl A
 6            polyethylene natural gas asset that could pose a risk of
 7            failure due to factors other than local environmental
 8            threats.
 9                (iii)    Replacing or remediating every early vintage
10            Aldyl A polyethylene connections that use
11            Polyoxymethylene inserts.
12                (iv)    Reporting on the replacement or mitigation of
13            Aldyl A polyethylene natural gas assets.
14                (v)    Monitoring noncompromised Aldyl A polyethylene
15            natural gas assets and replace if merited.
16      (c)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
17   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
18   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
19      "Natural gas asset."      A pipeline, junction, valve, meter or
20   other component used to deliver natural gas.
21      "Natural gas distribution company."      As defined in section
22   2202 (relating to definitions).
23      Section 2.      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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