On April 29, the U.S. Senate passed the APCA-supported PIPELINE Safety Act (S. 2975), which contains language incentivizing states to implement effective underground utility damage prevention policies (Section 221). Similar language is contained in Section 18 of its companion bill in the House, the bipartisan PIPES Act of 2025 (H.R. 5301), which the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed last year. H.R. 5301 needs additional approval from the Energy and Commerce Committee to get a vote on the House floor.
Separately, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) held a March 4 hearing on the narrower Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026. Section 9 of this bill also contains APCA-supported damage prevention language, and APCA highlighted to the committee the importance of strong state one-call enforcement programs, improved utility locate accuracy, and practical policies that help prevent excavation damage to underground infrastructure.
If either House measure advances through the Energy and Commerce Committee and passes the full House, lawmakers will need to reconcile differences with the Senate-passed PIPELINE Safety Act before final passage.
The IIJA, which currently authorizes federal highway and transit programs, expires on September 30, 2026. Congress is tasked with passing a new multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill before this date to prevent funding gaps and address the potential insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund. House Transportation and Infrastructure and Senate Commerce committee staff have signaled a willingness to add the PIPES Act to this must-pass bill, if needed.
As underground utility construction activity increases because of federal infrastructure investments, APCA continues to advocate for balanced policies that improve coordination among operators, locators, and excavators without creating unnecessary burdens for contractors. Damage prevention remains one of the association’s top priorities because of the significant public safety, service reliability, and economic impacts associated with utility strikes.
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