Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations, as defined. The Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011 designates the commission as the state authority responsible for regulating and enforcing intrastate gas pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities pursuant to federal law, including the development, submission, and administration of a state pipeline safety program certification for natural gas pipelines. The act requires the commission, by July 1, 2012, to open an appropriate proceeding or expand the scope of an existing proceeding to establish compatible emergency response standards that owners or operators of certain commission-regulated gas pipeline facilities, as defined, are required to follow and requires the commission to report to the Legislature on the status of establishing the compatible emergency response standards on or before January 1, 2013. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to the compatible emergency response standards requirements.