Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/3531

 120 STAT. 3500

PUBLIC LAW 109–468—DEC. 29, 2006

(d) FORMAT.—The report, or portions of the report, under subsection (c)(1) may be submitted in a classified format if the Inspector General determines that such action is necessary. 49 USC 60101 note.

SEC. 24. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation may award, through a competitive process, grants to universities with expertise in pipeline safety and security to establish jointly a collaborative program to conduct pipeline safety and technical assistance programs. (b) DUTIES.—In cooperation with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and representatives from States and boards of public utilities, the participants in the collaborative program established under subsection (a) shall be responsible for development of workforce training and technical assistance programs through statewide and regional partnerships that provide for— (1) communication of national, State, and local safety information to pipeline operators; (2) distribution of technical resources and training to support current and future Federal mandates; and (3) evaluation of program outcomes. (c) TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS.—The collaborative program established under subsection (a) may include courses in recent developments, techniques, and procedures related to— (1) safety and security of pipeline systems; (2) incident and risk management for such systems; (3) integrity management for such systems; (4) consequence modeling for such systems; (5) detection of encroachments and monitoring of rightsof-way for such systems; and (6) vulnerability assessment of such systems at both project and national levels. (d) REPORTS.— (1) UNIVERSITY.—Not later than March 31, 2009, the universities awarded grants under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary a report on the results of the collaborative program. (2) SECRETARY.—Not later than October 1, 2009, the Secretary shall transmit the reports submitted to the Secretary under paragraph (1), along with any findings, recommendations, or legislative options for Congress to consider, to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2010. SEC. 25. NATURAL GAS PIPELINES.

Deadline. Recommendations.

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12:05 Jul 13, 2007

The Secretary of Transportation shall review and comment on the Comptroller General report issued under section 14(d)(1) of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (49 U.S.C. 60109 note; 116 Stat. 3005), and not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, transmit to Congress any legislative recommendations the Secretary considers necessary and appropriate to implement the conclusions of that report.

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