An act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1985 to carry out the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 and the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979, and for other purposes.
Public Law 98-464 · S. 2688 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 11, 1984 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Robert Packwood (R-OR)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment)
Amends the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 and the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979 to: (1) authorize appropriations for FY 1985, including appropriations for the State grant programs; and (2) direct the Secretary of Transportation to submit directly to Congress on April 15 of each year the annual reports required of the Secretary under each Act. (Current law requires that the reports be submitted to the President for transmittal to Congress on June 15 of each year).
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) study issues relating to the transportation of methanol through the interstate liquid pipeline system and make recommendations for the safe and efficient transportation of methanol through such pipeline, and report the results of the study to Congress; and (2) study the feasibility of and costs connected with requiring various methods of testing and inspecting hazardous liquid pipeline facilities subject to provisions of the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979 and to report the results to Congress. Directs the Secretary to: (1) make recommendations, based on the study undertaken under clause (2) of the previous sentence and on consultation between the Secretary and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, as to the frequency and type of testing and inspection of pipeline facilities which should be required; and (2) report the recommendations to Congress.
Requires any person owning or operating interstate transmission facilities, within 180 days of the enactment of this Act, to submit a report to the Secretary which: (1) identifies the location and condition of all pipeline facilities owned or operated by such owner or operator whose construction was completed before January 1, 1940; and (2) includes the most recent leak survey information compiled by such owner or operator with respect to such pipelines. Directs the Secretary, within 90 days after the expiration of such 180 day period, to: (1) inspect such pipeline facilities; and (2) identify any pipeline facilities which may be hazardous to life and property. Directs the Secretary, within 120 days after the expiration of such 180 day period, to report to Congress on: (1) any actions taken with respect to pipeline facilities identified as hazardous; and (2) the recommendations of the Secretary for any additional action considered necessary with respect to pipeline facilities completed before January 1, 1940.
Prohibits the Secretary, in conducting training activities for State or local government personnel in the enforcement of regulations issued under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 or the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979, from assessing any charge or tuition fee.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.
- Oct 11, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-464.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 1, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 26, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments.
- Sep 21, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendment with an amendment. By Voice Vote.
- Jun 25, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 21, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- May 17, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported original measure by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
- May 8, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.