PHMSA has three advisory committees mandated by law. Section 60115 of Title 49, United States Code, requires the establishment and prescribes the duties of two committees formally named the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC).    

PHMSA informally refers to the committees as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) and the Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee (LPAC). When referenced together, the two are known as the Pipeline Advisory Committees (PAC).

The Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) Working Group is an advisory committee established in accordance with section 10 of the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-183), the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 U.S.C., App. 2, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.50(a).

Role

The GPAC and LPAC review PHMSA's proposed regulatory initiatives to assure the technical feasibility, reasonableness, cost-effectiveness and practicability of each proposal. The committees also evaluate the cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment information of the proposals.

Charter and Composition

To conduct business, each of the committees must have an approved Charter. The Charters require renewal every two years by the General Services Administration (GSA), Committee Management Secretariat; by laws provide additional procedural guidance.

Each of the committees has 15 members - with equal representation from Government, industry, and the public. The charter includes a description of the composition and duties delineated in current legislation 49 U.S.C. § 60115.

• GPAC - Committee Charter
• GPAC - Committee Roster & Biographies
• LPAC - Committee Charter
• LPAC - Committee Roster & Biographies
• GPAC & LPAC - ByLaws

Notification and Frequency of Meetings

Public announcements of the Pipeline Advisory Committee meetings appear in the Federal Register at least 15 days prior to the meeting date. At that time, a meeting page is established on this website. Relevant information such as the meeting agenda, briefing papers, presentations and the final transcript are filed on the meeting page. The committees typically meet two to four times per year depending on the regulatory actions to be considered.

NEXT MEETING: The next meeting date will appear at the top of the listing below and link to specifics.

• March 25, 2024 - March 29, 2024 - (GPAC Only) - LDAR and Class Location NPRMs
• November 27, 2023 - December 1, 2023 - (GPAC Only) - LDAR and Class Location NPRMs
• August 17, 2022 - Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee
• October 20 -21, 2021 - Pipeline Advisory Committees (GPAC and LPAC)- Policy Meeting & Standards Update rule meeting
• October 7, 2020 - Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee
• July 22, 2020 (GPAC) and July 23, 2020 (LPAC)
• June 25-26, 2019 (GPAC Only) - Click here to view webcast
• March 24-26, 2018 - Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC Only)
• March 2, 2018 - Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC Only) (Teleconference)
• December 13 (GPAC/LPAC Joint Meeting) & December 14-15, 2017 (GPAC Only)
• September Gas and Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee Meetings (Postponed To 12-13-2017)
• June 6 and 7, 2017 - Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC)
• January 11 and 12, 2017 - Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC)
• December 7 and 8, 2016 - Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee
• June 1-3, 2016 - Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee and Liquid
• February 1, 2016 - Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee
• December 17, 2015 - Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee
• August 25-27, 2015 - Joint Meeting - Gas and Liquid
• October 21 and 22, 2014 - Joint Meeting - Gas and Liquid
• February 25 and 26, 2014 - Joint Meeting - Gas and Liquid
• December 17, 2013 - Joint Meeting - Gas and the Liquid
• December 11, 12, 13, 2012 - Joint Meeting - Gas and Liquid
• July 11-12, 2012 - Joint Meeting - Gas and Liquid
• August 2, 2011 Joint Meeting Gas and Liquid Committees
• June 15, 2011 Joint Meeting Gas and Liquid Subcommittee Schedule
• March 23 - 25, 2011 - Gas Meeting (23rd) - Joint Meeting (24th) - Liquid Meeting (25th)
• August 19, 2010 - Joint Meeting Gas and Liquid Committees
• December 9 & 10, 2009 - Joint Meeting - Gas and Liquid Committees

Federal Agency Responsibility

The Gas and Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committees are chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C § 9 (c) (App 2). The charters describe each committee's mission, goals, and objectives as specified by the FACA. The FACA governs advisory committee activities, and requires the Department to review the pipeline technical advisory committee charters every two years to determine the need for continuing the committees. The Secretary of Transportation and the General Services Administration (GSA) must approve each charter. For more information on the requirements of the FACA, contact GSA's Committee Management Secretariat.

• Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C § 9 (c) (App 2)
• GSA's Committee Management Secretariat

Historic Committee Meeting Transcripts

Supplemental information, including transcripts of past advisory committee meetings can be found at www.Regulations.gov under the following docket numbers:

• PHMSA-RSPA-1998-4470
• PHMSA-2009-0203
• PHMSA-2011-0127
• PHMSA-2013-0156
• PHMSA-2014-0095 - Pipeline Safety Meeting of the Gas and Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committees 1960 – 1979
• PHMSA-2014-0096 - Pipeline Safety Meeting of the Gas and Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committees 1980 – 1989
• PHMSA-2014-0097 - Pipeline Safety Meeting of the Gas and Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committees 1990 – 1998

Voluntary Information - Sharing System Working Group

PHMSA's Voluntary Information-sharing System (VIS) Working Group is mandated by law, section 10 of the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-183), the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 U.S.C., App. 2, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.50(a). The Secretary of Transportation must convene a working group by December 19, 2016 to consider the development of a voluntary information-sharing system to encourage collaborative efforts to improve inspection information feedback and information sharing with the purpose of improving gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline facility integrity risk analysis. PHMSA intends to comply with section 10 of the PIPES Act of 2016 by convening a working group by December 19, 2016.