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Bill > HB1073


VA HB1073

VA HB1073
Advanced leak detection technologies; SCC shall establish standards for use by certain facilities.


summary

Introduced
01/14/2026
In Committee
03/06/2026
Crossed Over
02/06/2026
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Regular Session

Bill Summary

State Corporation Commission; pipeline leak detection and repair standards. Directs the State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations establishing standards for the use of pipeline leak detection technologies for intrastate natural gas distribution facilities operated by certain utilities, as informed by a federal rulemaking on gas pipeline safety. The provisions of the bill and any such regulations shall expire upon the effective date of any final rule under the federal rulemaking on gas pipeline safety.

AI Summary

This bill directs the State Corporation Commission (SCC), Virginia's regulatory body for utilities, to create rules for detecting and fixing leaks in pipelines that transport gas within the state. These new state rules must be at least as protective as the federal standards established by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in their "Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair Final Rule" issued on January 17, 2025. Importantly, the bill also states that these state-level regulations will automatically expire once a similar federal rule from PHMSA becomes final, preventing duplicate or conflicting regulations.

Committee Categories

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) (on 03/06/2026)

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