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Committee advances bill to raise pipeline penalties to federal levels, aiming to keep state control of safety program
Summary
A Senate committee advanced Senate Bill 23-68 to align Mississippi pipeline penalties with federal law; sponsors said matching federal minimums preserves state administration of pipeline safety oversight.
A state Senate committee voted to report Senate Bill 23-68 after discussion of pipeline-safety penalties and state oversight.
Committee members heard that current Mississippi penalties for pipeline violations are substantially lower than federal penalties, a discrepancy that could allow federal authorities to assume control of the state’s pipeline safety program. The chairman told the committee that, under current state law, penalties are “a thousand dollars a day not to exceed a total of 200,000,” while federal law provides for penalties of $200,000 for each violation up to a total of $2,000,000.
“This is — this bill keeps it under state control versus federal control,” the chairman said, explaining the rationale for increasing state penalties to mirror federal law. Lawmakers on the panel asked clarifying questions about the existing penalty amounts and the federal minimum required to maintain state authority.
The committee moved that the bill’s title was sufficient and that it be passed; the motion was carried by voice vote and the bill was reported. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally.
The committee’s action modifies penalty amounts in state law so they mirror federal standards; sponsors framed the change as necessary to prevent federal takeover of the state program for pipeline safety.
