# Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program PDF - **operation:** document - **citation:** PHMSA Guidance, Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program PDF - **title:** Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program PDF - **source type:** guidance - **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration - **status:** guidance - **official:** true - **published on:** Not available - **effective on:** Not available - **summary:** Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program PDF The Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program (Guidelines) contain guidance for how State Pipeline Safety Programs must conduct and execute their responsibilities delegated through certification or agreement by the Secretary of Transportation pursuant to certain sections of Title 49 of the United States Code. Year: 2026 20 - **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-guidelines-states-participating-pipeline-safety-program-pdf-751db7bc.json - **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-guidelines-states-participating-pipeline-safety-program-pdf-751db7bc.md - **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-guidelines-states-participating-pipeline-safety-program-pdf-751db7bc - **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/working-phmsa/state-programs/guidelines-states-participating-pipeline-safety-program-pdf **body:** Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program PDF The Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program (Guidelines) contain guidance for how State Pipeline Safety Programs must conduct and execute their responsibilities delegated through certification or agreement by the Secretary of Transportation pursuant to certain sections of Title 49 of the United States Code. Year: 2026 2026 State Guidelines with Appendices.pdf (9.19 MB) Year: 2026 Year: 2025 2025 State Guidelines Revisions Final with Appendices 2025-03-12 1.pdf (11.47 MB) Year: 2025 Year: 2024 Year: 2024 Description: 2024-State-Guidelines-with-Appendices-2023-12-18.pdf Year: 2023 Year: 2023 Description: 2023-State-Guidelines-Final-Version-with-Appendices-2023-1-12.pdf Year: 2022 Year: 2022 Description: 2022-State-Guidelines-January-14-Final-Version-2022-1-14-with-Apendices.pdf Year: 2021 Year: 2021 Description: 2021-State-Guidelines-Final-With-Appendices.pdf Year: 2020 2020-appendix-r1-ntsb-final-report-merrimack-valley-incident.pdf (39.91 KB) Year: 2020 Effective Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026 <<>> Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program Revised January 2026 <<>> T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S GLOSSARY v __________________________________________________________________ ACRONYMS x _________________________________________________________________ Preface _____________________________________________________________________ 1 1 Federal/State Partnership __________________________________________________ 1 1.1 Congressional Intent __________________________________________________________ 1 1.2 Federal Role and Organizational Structure _______________________________________ 1 1.3 State Role and Organizational Structure __________________________________________ 2 1.4 Related Organizations _________________________________________________________ 3 1.4.1 NAPSR 1.4.2 NARUC 3 _________________________________________________________________________ 3 _________________________________________________________________________ 1.5 Invitational Travel 3 ____________________________________________________________ 1.6 Mutual Aid 4 __________________________________________________________________ 2 State Participation Requirements ____________________________________________ 6 2.1 Section 60105 Certification 6 _____________________________________________________ 2.2 Section 60106 Agreement ______________________________________________________ 7 2.3 Interstate Agent Agreement ____________________________________________________ 8 2.4 Time Defined Agreement _______________________________________________________ 8 2.5 Joint Inspection of an Interstate Operator ________________________________________ 9 2.6 Certification/Agreement Forms ________________________________________________ 10 2.7 Progress Report _____________________________________________________________ 10 2.7.1 Attachment #1: State Jurisdiction and Interstate Agent Status ______________________________ 10 2.7.2 Attachment #2: Total State Field Inspection Activity _____________________________________ 11 2.7.3 Attachment #3: Facilities Subject to State Safety Jurisdiction ______________________________ 11 2.7.4 Attachment #4: Pipeline Incidents/Accidents ___________________________________________ 12 2.7.5 Attachment #5: State Compliance Actions _____________________________________________ 12 2.7.6 Attachment #6: State Record Maintenance and Reporting _________________________________ 12 2.7.7 Attachment #7: State Employees Directly Involved in the Pipeline Safety Program _____________ 12 2.7.8 Attachment #8: State Compliance with Federal Requirements ______________________________ 12 2.7.9 [RESERVED] ___________________________________________________________________ 13 2.7.10 Attachment #10: Performance and Damage Prevention Questions ___________________________ 13 2.8 Responsibility to Assist OPS in the Work Management System ______________________ 13 3 State Regulatory Responsibility _____________________________________________ 15 3.1 Adoption of Federal Regulations and Requirements _______________________________ 15 3.2 WinDOT 15 ___________________________________________________________________ 3.3 Waiver of Federal Regulations _________________________________________________ 15 3.3.1 Interstate Pipelines ________________________________________________________________ 15 3.3.2 Intrastate Pipelines ________________________________________________________________ 15 4 Personnel 18 ______________________________________________________________ 4.1 State Agency Minimum Required Inspection Activity ______________________________ 18 Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program i Revised January 2026 <<>> T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 4.1.1 Determination of Inspection Activity _________________________________________________ 4.1.2 Peer Review _____________________________________________________________________ 4.1.3 Inspection Activity Examples _______________________________________________________ 4.1.4 Updates to SICT _________________________________________________________________ 4.1.5 SICT Examples __________________________________________________________________ 18 21 22 23 23 4.2 Allocation of Effort 28 __________________________________________________________ 4.3 Training ____________________________________________________________________ 28 4.3.1 Required Training ________________________________________________________________ 28 4.3.2 Course Re-Testing ________________________________________________________________ 31 4.3.3 Training Waivers _________________________________________________________________ 31 4.3.4 Procedures for Requesting a Training Waiver___________________________________________ 32 4.4 Individual Qualifications ______________________________________________________ 32 4.5 Continuing Education and State Inspector Mentoring Program _____________________ 34 4.6 Changes in State Agency Personnel _____________________________________________ 34 4.7 Program Manager/Supervisor Training _________________________________________ 35 4.8 New Program Manager Orientation ____________________________________________ 35 5 Inspection and Compliance Program ________________________________________ 36 5.1 Inspection __________________________________________________________________ 36 5.2 Compliance _________________________________________________________________ 46 5.2.1 Procedures for State Agencies with a Section 60105 Certification ___________________________ 46 5.2.2 Procedures for State Agencies with a Section 60106 Agreement or Interstate Agents ____________ 47 5.2.3 PHMSA Orders to Intrastate Operators ________________________________________________ 47 5.2.4 Referring Concerns of Possible Criminal Activity to the Office of Inspector General (OIG): ______ 47 6 Incident/Accident Investigation and Safety-Related Conditions 48 ___________________ 6.1 Investigation of Pipeline Incidents/Accidents _____________________________________ 48 6.2 On-scene investigations _______________________________________________________ 49 6.3 Basic Investigative Procedures _________________________________________________ 52 6.4 Incident Investigation Procedures ______________________________________________ 52 6.5 PHMSA AID Daily Telephonic Investigation Report _______________________________ 52 6.6 Access to NRC Reports _______________________________________________________ 53 6.7 Safety-Related Conditions 54 _____________________________________________________ 7 Damage Prevention Program and One Call Notification ________________________ 55 7.1 Damage Prevention __________________________________________________________ 55 7.2 One Call Notification 56 _________________________________________________________ 7.3 Damage Prevention and One-Call Grants 58 ________________________________________ 8 State Agency Program Performance _________________________________________ 59 8.1 Annual Program Evaluation ___________________________________________________ 59 8.2 Compliance with Program Requirements ________________________________________ 61 8.3 Recordkeeping ______________________________________________________________ 62 Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program Revised January 2026 ii <<>> T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 8.4 Attendance at NAPSR Meetings ________________________________________________ 62 8.5 State Pipeline Safety Training and/or Seminars ___________________________________ 63 9 DOT Grant-in-Aid Program _______________________________________________ 64 9.1 Scope of Grant ______________________________________________________________ 64 9.2 Address 64 ____________________________________________________________________ 9.3 Eligibility ___________________________________________________________________ 64 9.4 Assistance Listing Information _________________________________________________ 64 9.5 General Obligations __________________________________________________________ 65 9.6 Grant Application ___________________________________________________________ 65 9.6.1 Attachment #1: Description of State Pipeline Safety Program. _____________________________ 65 9.6.2 Attachment #2: Pipeline Safety Program Estimated Budget. _______________________________ 67 9.7 Annual Funding Level ________________________________________________________ 67 9.8 Grant Allocation and Percentage of Funding _____________________________________ 67 9.8.1 Initial Allocation vs. Final Allocation 68 _________________________________________________ 9.8.2 Grant Allocation Formula for Grant Award 69 ____________________________________________ 9.8.3 State Performance Score 69 ___________________________________________________________ 9.9 Assistance Agreement ________________________________________________________ 72 9.10 Certification Regarding Lobbying and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities______________ 73 9.11 Mid-Year Request for Reimbursement __________________________________________ 73 9.12 Year-end Request for Reimbursement and Cost Summary__________________________ 73 9.13 Withholding of Grant Funds - Suspension and/or Termination of Grants _____________ 74 9.14 Deposit of Grant Funds _______________________________________________________ 75 9.15 Eligibility of Program Costs ___________________________________________________ 75 9.15.1 Direct Costs 75 _____________________________________________________________________ 9.15.2 Indirect Costs 78 ____________________________________________________________________ 9.15.3 Standards for Documentation of Personnel Expenses _____________________________________ 79 9.15.4 Unallowable Costs 79 ________________________________________________________________ 9.16 Pipeline Safety Grant Program Financial Review _________________________________ 80 9.16.1 Pre-Review 81 _____________________________________________________________________ 9.16.2 Grant Review 81 ____________________________________________________________________ 9.16.3 Post-Review 81 _____________________________________________________________________ 9.16.4 Adjustments and Penalties __________________________________________________________ 81 9.16.5 Appeal of Findings _______________________________________________________________ 81 9.17 Procurement Standards 82 _______________________________________________________ 9.18 Procurement Procedures 82 ______________________________________________________ 9.19 Contracts Management _______________________________________________________ 82 9.20 Internal Controls 82 ____________________________________________________________ 9.21 Real Property _______________________________________________________________ 82 9.22 Personal Property ____________________________________________________________ 83 9.23 Code of Conduct 83 _____________________________________________________________ Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program Revised January 2026 iii <<>> T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 9.24 Conflict of Interest and Mandatory Disclosures ___________________________________ 83 9.25 Audit Requirements (2 CFR 200 Subpart F) ______________________________________ 83 9.26 PHMSA Office of Civil Rights Review – Title VI 84 __________________________________ 9.27 Grant-in-Aid Program Calendar of Events _______________________________________ 85 10 FedSTAR 86 _____________________________________________________________ 10.1 Purpose ____________________________________________________________________ 86 10.2 Location and Procedures 86 ______________________________________________________ 10.3 Facilitating Various Program Documentation ____________________________________ 87 Appendix Summary __________________________________________________________ 89 Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program Revised January 2026 iv <<>> Glossary GLOSSARY Agreement The State Agency assumes inspection responsibility for facilities and reports Probable Violations to PHMSA for enforcement actions. Certification The State Agency assumes inspection and enforcement responsibility with respect to intrastate facilities over which it has jurisdiction under State law. Chapter 601, Title 49 of the U.S. Code Throughout this manual, Sections 60101 – 60140 refer to Chapter 601, Title 49 of the United States Code Chapter 601 is the recodification of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968, as amended (49 U.S.C. app 1671 et seq.), and the Hazardous Liquids Pipeline Safety Act of 1979, as amended (49 U.S.C. app 2001 et seq.). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49 (49 CFR)-Pipeline Safety Part 40 Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug Testing Programs Part 190 Pipeline Safety Programs and Rulemaking Procedures Part 191 Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline: Annual Reports Incident Reports, and Safety-Related Condition Reports Part 192 Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline: Minimum Federal Safety Standards Part 193 Liquefied Natural Gas Facilities: Federal Safety Standards Part 194 Response Plans for Onshore Oil Pipelines Part 195 Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline Part 196 Protection of Underground Pipelines from Excavation Activity Part 198 Regulations for Grants to Aid State Pipeline Safety Programs Part 199 Drug and Alcohol Testing Compliance Action A Compliance Action is an action or series of sequential actions taken to enforce federal or state pipeline regulations. One Compliance Action can cover multiple Probable Violations. A Compliance Action may take the form of a letter warning of future penalties for continued violation, an administratively imposed monetary sanction or order directing compliance with the regulations, an order directing corrective action under hazardous Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program v Revised January 2026 <<>> Glossary Department of Transportation (DOT) conditions, a show-cause order, a criminal sanction, a court injunction, or a similar formal action. The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the U.S. government concerned with transportation. It was established by the Department of Transportation Act of Congress on October 15,1966 and began operation on April 1, 1967. The Secretary of Transportation is the head of DOT. This is the computer application available over the internet which is used by State Agencies to enter the required federal documentation and information. Federal State Tracking and Reporting (FedSTAR) Grant Funds or aid in kind to carry out specified programs, services, or activities. Grant Program Those activities and operations of the State Agency which are necessary to carry out the purposes of the grant, including any portion of the program financed by the grantee. This technical usage of the phrase should not be confused with the Pipeline Safety Grant Program (sometimes shortened to “Grant Program”), which is the Federal assistance program in support of the State Agency’s pipeline safety program. Inspection Person-Day All or part of a day spent by State Agency Inspectors)/Investigator(s) (including travel) in on-site or virtual evaluation of an operator’s system to determine compliance with Federal or State pipeline safety regulations; or in on-site investigation of a pipeline incident; or in job-site training of an operator. (See section 5.1 for description of inspection types) Time counted for such activities should be reported as a maximum of one Inspection Person-Day per inspector present for each day devoted to safety issues, regardless of the number of operators visited during that day. (e.g., You may evaluate two operators in the same day and record each inspection visit as 0.5 person-day, or actual fraction of a day, for each operator provided the total does not exceed 1.0 person-day). Non-qualified inspectors present assisting a qualified inspector can be included in the inspection day count. On a limited basis, the inspector may count in-office inspection time to review operator written plans, procedures, programs, and records to effectively use on-site inspection time, as approved by the Program Manager, and as noted in the annual progress report. In-office inspection time must be adequately documented and made part of the State Agency’s inspection records. Inspection Unit All or part of an operator’s pipeline facilities under the control of an administrative unit that provides sufficient communication and controls to ensure uniform design, construction, operation, and maintenance procedures for the facilities. Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program Revised January 2026 vi <<>> Glossary • Privately Owned Distribution System • Gas Transmission and Hazardous Liquid Pipeline System (including Ethanol) • Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Facility • Master Meter System The application of the Inspection Unit concept will ensure inspection coverage of an operator’s entire system and enhance Federal/State management of workload and program evaluation. Determination of inspections will be based on the following guidelines, but where unique situations exist, good logic and judgment must be exercised when identifying the parameters of the Inspection Unit. The Inspection Unit could be an operating area such as a specific city or metropolitan area, a group of towns, or other geographic area, and would include all distribution facilities in the defined area. However, because of the greater number of pipeline facilities in some large metropolitan distribution areas, multiple Inspection Units may be appropriate. In selecting the Inspection Unit, consideration should be given to the size of the area covered, work location, record location, and line of supervision. If the distribution system contains transmission lines where transmission integrity management plans are required, those system(s) should be considered separate intrastate transmission Inspection Unit(s). The Inspection Unit should include up to 500 miles of pipeline right-of-way including any compressor stations or pumping facilities within the designated limits. In some circumstances, such as densely populated areas and/or environmentally sensitive areas, and/or where judged necessary based on local conditions, a separate Inspection Unit can be established. Each LNG facility should be considered a single Inspection Unit. • Municipal • Petroleum Gas System Each Master Meter System should be considered a single Inspection Unit. However, more than one Master Meter System should be considered a single Inspection Unit if all facilities involved are owned, operated, and maintained under common supervisory control. Each Municipal operator should be considered a single Inspection Unit unless its system, similar to privately owned distribution systems, contains transmission lines where transmission integrity management inspections are done in which case the transmission system should be a separate Inspection Unit. Also operating conditions/characteristics could suggest additional Inspection Units be considered. Each system should be considered a single Inspection Unit. However, more than one petroleum gas system should be considered a single Inspection Unit if all facilities involved are Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program Revised January 2026 vii <<>> Glossary • Regulated Gathering Pipeline System Interstate Agent owned, operated, and maintained under common supervisory control. Each regulated gathering pipeline system can be considered as a single Inspection Unit. Circumstances may exist when an operator has more than one regulated gathering system separated into individual Inspection Units. The State Agency assumes inspection responsibility for interstate facilities and reports Probable Violations to PHMSA for enforcement actions. National Response Center (NRC) (1-800- 424-8802) National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Non-compliance The federal government’s national communications center, which is staffed 24 hours a day by U.S. Coast Guard officers and marine science technicians. The NRC receives all reports of releases as required by 49 CFR 191 and 49 CFR 195, Subpart B. This “telephonic” report data is shared with PHMSA as well as other federal agencies such as Homeland Security, EPS, NTSB via an information system. This Federal agency was created by Congress in the DOT Act of 1966. Although NTSB’s authority is limited to transportation failure investigations, its mission relating to pipeline safety is to: 1. Investigate significant failures and report the circumstances relating to each failure and its probable cause. 2. Make recommendations to the Secretary, the pipeline operators, manufacturers, associations, and interested parties to minimize the possibility of recurrence of similar failures. 3. Release reports deemed to be in the public interest. 4. Conduct special studies and investigations on matters regarding safety in pipeline transportation and failure prevention. A violation or Probable Violation of any Federal or State pipeline safety regulations. OPS is the office that handles pipeline safety for PHMSA Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) PHMSA is the agency under DOT that is responsible for pipeline safety oversight. Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program Revised January 2026 viii <<>> Glossary OPS Inspector Training and Qualifications Division (TQ) Probable Violation The safety training organization operated by OPS located at 3700 S. MacArthur Blvd, Suite B, Oklahoma City, OK 73179-7612. The contact telephone number is 405-686-2310. Program Manager Region Director Region Office A Probable Violation is a potential Non-compliance with any Title 49, Chapter 601 section or, where a section is divided into subsections (a), (b), (c), etc., any subsection of federal or state pipeline regulations. Each numbered section should be counted separately. Multiple Non-compliances of a numbered section discovered on the same inspection should be counted as one Probable Violation with multiple pieces of evidence (i.e., during a unit inspection it was discovered that an operator failed to check and service 6 distribution valves, in reference to 49 CFR 192.747 Valve maintenance: Distribution systems, this is one Probable Violation of 192.747(a) with six pieces of evidence and not six Probable Violations). The person designated by the State Agency as responsible for all activities of the pipeline safety program The individual responsible for all activities of the designated OPS region One of five offices delegated the authority to carry out the field activities for OPS A tool used to determine the required number of annual Inspection Person-Days for a State Agency. State Inspection Calculation Tool (SICT) Special Initiatives State Agency Initiatives occasionally issued by PHMSA for a limited purpose. The division of each State, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, authorized through a Certification or Agreement with PHMSA to administer a pipeline safety program. Also referred to as “grantee” or “recipient.” The OPS division that provides technical assistance, support and evaluates State Agency programs. PHMSA State Programs Supervisor Individual in a State Agency supervising pipeline safety inspectors/investigators as designated in Attachment 7 of the annual Progress Report. This does not include individuals solely supervising damage prevention/technical staff. Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program Revised January 2026 ix <<>> Acronyms ACRONYMS AID Accident Investigation Division CFR Code of Federal Regulations LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas NAPSR National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives NARUC National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners OMB Office of Management and Budget PDM Pipeline Data Mart RCFA Root Cause Failure Analysis U.S.C. United States Code Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program x Revised January 2026 <<>> The Federal/State Partnership Preface The Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program (Guidelines) contain guidance for how State Agencies must conduct and execute their responsibilities delegated through Certification or Agreement by the Secretary of Transportation pursuant to Title 49 of the U.S.C. The Secretary of Transportation has delegated the administration of the Certifications and Agreements to PHMSA. These Guidelines are not regulations or rules promulgated by PHMSA. Guidelines are provided to promote consistency among the many State Agencies that participate under Certifications and/or Agreements. The guidance contains expectations for the execution of a State Agency’s responsibilities which are evaluated annually. The performance evaluation results are utilized to determine continued Certification/Agreement with a State Agency and annual grant funding amounts to the State Agency. The Guidelines and performance of expectations are administered by PHMSA State Programs. The Guidelines are periodically reviewed and revised after input and review by NAPSR. 1 Federal/State Partnership 1.1 Congressional Intent 49 U.S.C. Chapter 601 provides the statutory basis for the pipeline safety program and establishes a framework for promoting pipeline safety through exclusive Federal authority for regulation of interstate pipeline facilities and State authority for all or part of the intrastate pipeline facilities under annual Certification or Agreement. 49 U.S.C. 60107(a) authorizes Federal grants-in- aid of not more than 80 percent of a State Agency’s personnel, equipment, activities, and other allowable costs for its pipeline safety program. The resulting Federal/State partnership is the cornerstone for ensuring uniform implementation of the pipeline safety program nationwide. 49 U.S.C. Chapter 601 can be found in Appendix A. 1.2 Federal Role and Organizational Structure PHMSA’s mission is to protect people and the environment from the risks inherent in transportation of hazardous materials - by pipeline and other modes of transportation. The agency’s goals are: • Safety: To reduce the risk of harm to people due to the transportation of hazardous materials by pipelines and other modes. Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program 1 Revised January 2026 <<>> The Federal/State Partnership • Environmental Stewardship: To reduce the risk of harm to the environment due to the transportation of oil and hazardous materials by pipeline and other modes. • Reliability: To help maintain and improve the reliability of systems that deliver energy products and other hazardous materials. • Global Connectivity: To harmonize and standardize the requirements for pipeline and hazardous materials transportation internationally, to facilitate efficient and safe transportation through ports of entry and through the supply chain. • Preparedness and Response: To reduce the consequences (harm to people, environment, and economy) after a pipeline or hazmat failure has occurred. Under delegation from the Secretary of DOT, OPS directly administers the program and develops issues and enforces minimum safety regulations for interstate and intrastate pipelines. These regulations are written to ensure safety in (1) the design, construction, testing, operation, and maintenance of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities and in (2) the siting, construction, operation, and maintenance of LNG facilities. OPS ensures compliance with regulations through operator inspections, enforcement actions, and accident investigations. In addition, TQ conducts training in application of the regulations. PHMSA also administers grant-in-aid funding to State Agencies, conducts research, and collects and analyzes safety data. PHMSA State Programs administers the grant-in-aid program to support State Agencies conducting gas and hazardous liquid pipeline safety programs. The OPS Region Offices serve as the focal point for interstate pipeline compliance activities and intrastate facilities not under state jurisdiction. The region staff provides technical assistance and support to State Agency programs. State Agencies are encouraged to contact their respective State Liaison or Region Director if they have any questions about technical or other inspection issues. The PHMSA Director of State Programs should be contacted if the State Liaison or Region Director cannot be reached. 1.3 State Role and Organizational Structure A State delegates responsibility for pipeline safety to a State Agency. The State Agency may be a public utility commission, a state fire marshal, a public service commission, or other state authority or office. State Agencies under existing law Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program 2 Revised January 2026 <<>> The Federal/State Partnership have jurisdiction over most intrastate gas, LNG, and hazardous liquid facilities within their respective States. State Agency duties normally consist of operator inspections, compliance and enforcement, safety programs, accident investigations, pipeline design, testing and construction inspections, and record maintenance and reporting. 1.4 Related Organizations 1.4.1 NAPSR NAPSR, established in 1982, is an organization of State Agency pipeline safety managers, inspectors, and technical personnel who support, encourage, develop, and enhance pipeline safety. NAPSR provides an effective mechanism for fostering the Federal/State partnership. The NAPSR Articles of Association set forth the purpose and objectives of the organization and the procedures for electing national and region officers. The Articles of Association establish the steps for adopting resolutions to raise pipeline safety concerns of national scope for PHMSA consideration in regulatory and enforcement activities. 1.4.2 NARUC NARUC is an organization of Federal and State agencies engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers. Its chief objective is to improve the quality and effectiveness of utility regulation in the United States. Through its Staff Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety under the Committee on Gas, NARUC provides a communication channel among State public utility agencies, Program Managers, and Federal agencies. Like NAPSR, the NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety holds regular meetings, issues resolutions, and establishes working groups to deal with safety issues. 1.5 Invitational Travel In support of NAPSR and NARUC initiatives, PHMSA may provide invitational travel (100% funding) for the following: 1. The current NAPSR Chair and/or Vice-Chair to attend the NAPSR National meeting and five NAPSR region meetings excluding the meeting(s) held in their respective region. In the absence of the Chair or Vice Chair, the Secretary may attend under Invitational Travel. 2. GAC: The current NAPSR Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Past Chair and five State Agency representatives (one from each region). An alternate representative may attend in the absence of the region representative provided the NAPSR Chair consults with PHMSA Director of State Programs on the appointment and notifies the PHMSA State Programs point of contact (POC) about the selection. Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program 3 Revised January 2026 <<>> The Federal/State Partnership 3. NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety: Five State Agency representatives (one from each NAPSR Region) as designated by the NAPSR Chair may receive Invitational Travel to attend NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety functions. 4. NAPSR Committees, Task Groups, and or other special projects: As deemed necessary and agreed to by PHMSA Director of State Programs in concurrence with NAPSR Chair. Each NAPSR/NARUC committee representative that has not traveled under federal invitational travel orders shall complete the E-2 User Profile Request form. The form shall be completed prior to submitting the PHP Travel Request Form. All travel requests will need to be submitted at least one month prior to each tentative meeting. All Travel Requests and Travel Vouchers are submitted using the following e-mail address: PHMSAStateInvitationalTravel@dot.gov. All forms are available on NAPSR website, by contacting the NAPSR Administrative Manager or by contacting PHMSA State Programs Point of Contact (POC). Once the POC has reviewed and concurs with the request, each committee member will be provided additional details on travel arrangements. Requests may be denied if not submitted within the time frame mentioned above or prior travel reimbursement voucher has not been submitted by the representative to PHMSA Headquarters for process. In general, PHMSA will provide airline tickets for the approved travel and reimburse the traveler (not the State Agency) for other expenses at the standard government per diem rates. See the GSA travel website for more information - Travel resources | GSA.(Rental car transportation is not typically a reimbursable expense.) To ensure invitational travel voucher requests are processed in a proper and timely manner, committee members need to submit the PHP Invitational Voucher Form as soon as they return from the meeting. The individual traveler, or group/committee designee, shall also submit a written summary of the meeting events within 30 days after the meeting to the NAPSR Administrative Manager and PHMSA Director of State Programs. Funding is also subject to PHMSA budgetary constraints. 1.6 Mutual Aid Just like natural gas utilities that rely on mutual aid provided by other gas companies during certain events, a State Agency may need support from OPS or other State Agencies during large incidents, outages, or restorations. Any need for OPS support shall be requested through PHMSA State Programs. Any need for other State Agency support must Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program 4 Revised January 2026 <<>> The Federal/State Partnership be requested through the requesting State’s department that handles the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). The EMAC process details the needs of the requesting State Agency, the process for responding State Agencies to estimate their available resources including costs and the process for responding State Agencies to be reimbursed by the requesting State Agency. In addition to the EMAC process, PHMSA State Programs must be consulted to ensure that State Agencies proposing to provide mutual aid are suitable to provide assistance. The following conditions apply to mutual aid: Inspection days can only be counted for inspecting facilities in accordance with the State Certification and therefore NO inspection days can be counted by the responding State Agency performing inspections on behalf of the requesting State Agency. State Agencies that do not meet their required number of inspection days will lose points on the Progress Report score unless waived by the PHMSA Director of State Programs for good cause. Although a responding State Agency could request a waiver for failing to meet the required number of inspection days, there is no guarantee that the waiver would be approved. The number of days spent supporting a State Agency in need of mutual aid would be a consideration for waiving the points for the required number of inspection days. A simple spreadsheet documenting the inspector’s name and dates providing support to the requesting State Agency would be necessary to consider the waiver of required inspection days. A State Agency should consider the impact to safety in their home state before rendering aid to another state. Costs for the responding State Agency CANNOT be charged to the Base Grant by the responding State Agency. Costs for the responding State Agency can be reimbursed by the requesting State Agency through the EMAC process. Costs reimbursed to responding State Agencies by the requesting State Agency can be charged to the Base Grant by the requesting State Agency. Guidelines for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program 5 Revised January 2026 <<>> State Participation Requirements 2 State Participation Requirements State Agency participation in the pipeline safety program is based on voluntary submission of a Certification pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 60105, or of an Agreement pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 60106. State Agency participation may also include acting as an Interstate Agent on behalf of PHMSA. Under a 60105 Certification, the State Agency assumes inspection and enforcement responsibility with respect to intrastate facilities over which it has jurisdiction under State law. With a Certification, the State Agency may adopt additional or more stringent standards for intrastate pipeline facilities provided such standards are compatible with Federal regulations. Under a60106 Agreement or an Interstate Agent Agreement, the State Agency assumes inspection responsibility for facilities and reports Probable Violations to PHMSA for enforcement. Under a Certification, Agreement, or Interstate Agent Agreement, the State Agency may not subcontract pipeline safety-related work activities without prior approval from PHMSA. If the State Agency does not apply for annual Certification or Agreement, all intrastate facilities remain the responsibility of PHMSA. 2.1 Section 60105 Certification To qualify for 49 U.SC. 60105 gas or hazardous liquid Certification, the State Agency must meet the following requirements. Separate Certification is necessary for gas and hazardous liquid programs. PHMSA’s procedures to monitor, evaluate and reject a State Agency’s Certification are described in Appendix P. 1. The State Agency must have adopted each Federal safety standard applicable to intrastate pipelines under its jurisdiction as of the date of the Certification. When a federal standard is established within 120 days before the date of Certification, the State Agency must be taking steps pursuant to State law to adopt the standard. If the State Agency is not eligible to submit a Certification at the beginnin - **truncated:** true - **body characters:** 6649586