,i  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddbi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #b1 #bjaf  
,mr4 ,knight introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure1 and in addition to the 
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 for
 a period to be subsequently determined 
by the ,speaker1 in each case for       
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to direct the ,secretary of             
,transportation to issue minimum uniform
 safety standards for underground       
natural gas storage facilities1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,natural ,gas 
,leak ,prevention ,act of #bjaf4  #b4   
,underground natural gas storage        
facilities  7a7 ,defined term ,section  
#fjaja7;a7 of title #di1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in paragraph 

7#ba77;,b71 by striking the period at   
the end and inserting a semicolon2  7#b7
 in paragraph 7#bd71 by striking and at 
the end2  7#c7 in paragraph 7#be71 by   
striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 and2 and  7#d7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7#bf7           
underground natural gas storage facility
 means a gas pipeline facility that     
stores gas in an underground facility1  
including-- 7,a7 a depleted hydrocarbon 
reservoir2  7,b7 an aquifer reservoir2  
or  7,c7 a solution mined salt cavern   
reservoir4  4  7b7 ,standards for       
underground natural gas storage         
facilities ,chapter #fja of title #di1  
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
inserting after section #fjajc the      
following3  #fjajc;,a4 ,standards for   
underground natural gas storage         
facilities  7a7 ,minimum uniform safety 
standards ,not later than #b years after
 the date of enactment of this section1 
the ,secretary of ,transportation1 in   
consultation with the heads of other    

relevant ,federal agencies1 shall issue 
minimum uniform safety standards1       
incorporating1 to the extent            
practicable1 consensus standards for the
 operation1 environmental protection1   
and integrity management of underground 
natural gas storage facilities4  7b7    
,considerations ,in developing uniform  
safety standards under subsection 7a71  
the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 consider the
 economic impacts of the regulations on 
individual gas customers to the extent  
practicable2  7#b7 ensure that the      
regulations do not have a significant   
economic impact on end users to the     
extent practicable2 and  7#c7 consider  
existing consensus standards4  7c7 ,user
 fees  7#a7 ,in general ,a fee shall be 
imposed on an entity operating an       
underground natural gas storage facility
 to which this section applies4 ,any    
such fee imposed shall be collected     
before the end of the fiscal year to    
which it applies4  7#b7 ,means of       
collection ,the ,secretary shall        

prescribe procedures to collect fees    
under this subsection4 ,the ,secretary  
may use a department1 agency1 or        
instrumentality of the ,united ,states  
,government or of a ,state or local     
government to collect the fee and may   
reimburse the department1 agency1 or    
instrumentality a reasonable amount for 
its services4  7#c7 ,use of fees  7,a7  
,account ,there is established an       
underground natural gas storage facility
 safety account in the ,pipeline ,safety
 ,fund established under section #fjcja1
 in the ,treasury of the ,united        
,states4  7,b7 ,use of fees ,a fee      
collected under this subsection-- 7i7   
shall be deposited in the underground   
natural gas storage facility safety     
account2 and  7ii7 if the fee is related
 to an underground natural gas storage  
facility1 may be used only for an       
activity related to underground natural 
gas storage safety under this section4  
7,c7 ,limitation ,amounts collected     
under this subsection shall be made     

available only to the extent provided in
 advance in an appropriation law for an 
activity related to underground natural 
gas storage safety4  7d7 ,rules of      
construction  7#a7 ,in general ,nothing 
in this section may be construed to     
affect any ,federal regulation relating 
to gas pipeline facilities that is in   
effect on the day before the date of    
enactment of this section4  7#b7        
,limitations ,nothing in this section   
may be construed to authorize the       
,secretary-- 7,a7 to prescribe the      
location of an underground natural gas  
storage facility2 or  7,b7 to require   
the ,secretary's permission to construct
 a facility referred to in subparagraph 
7,a74  4  7c7 ,clerical amendment ,the  
table of sections for chapter #fja is   
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #fjajc the          
following3  #fjajc;,a4 ,standards for   
underground natural gas storage         
facilities4  4