Over 110 Groups to Congress: Don’t Criminalize Protest in Pipeline Safety Bill

More than 110 national, state, and local groups have sent a letter to Congress asking lawmakers to strip out language in a pipeline safety bill that they say could be used to criminalize protest. The bill would reauthorize the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) safety programs, and Congress is now working to merge different versions passed by the Senate and House committees.

The groups argue that House versions of the bill include wording aimed at pipeline "tampering" that could instead be used against people exercising their right to free speech, assembly, and press at pipeline protest sites. They say existing state and federal laws already cover real tampering incidents, so the new language isn't needed and risks being misused against protesters. Signers, including Food & Water Watch, EarthRights International, and the Sierra Club, also argue that pipeline safety oversight itself has weakened, with fewer public comment opportunities and looser standards even as pipeline-related deaths and injuries continue each year.

This is a policy fight in Washington rather than something that changes any home upgrade or rebate right now. It matters mainly if you live near pipeline infrastructure or care about how safety rules and protest rights get balanced in the final legislation. There's no program change, deadline, or rebate tied to this news — it's a snapshot of the debate happening as Congress finalizes the pipeline safety bill.