On February 13, 2024, Associate Policy Director Dominic Butchko submitted written testimony to the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 503- Public Safety- Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing for Fuel Gas Piping Systems- Requirements and Prohibitions. This bill requires corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) to meet certain requirements in order to be sold, transferred, or distributed. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to a civil penalty of up to $1000.
The Public Service Commission defines CSST as “a flexible, stainless steel piping system used to supply natural gas and propane in residential, commercial, and industrial structures.” Over the years, this type of tubing has become a cornerstone of the nation’s fossil fuel infrastructure and can be found in most buildings. Recently, there have been several instances where structure fires have become more severe due to failures in the CSST tubing – including the tragic line-of-duty deaths of Frederick County firefighter Joshua Laird and Howard County firefighter Nathan Flynn.
Recently, there have been several instances where structure fires have become more severe due to failures in the CSST tubing – including the tragic line-of-duty deaths of Frederick County firefighter Joshua Laird and Howard County firefighter Nathan Flynn. HB 503 addresses these failures by requiring CSST to meet certain standards in the International Fuel & Gas Code and enforcing those standards by establishing a civil penalty of up to $1000 for noncompliance.
HB 503’s cross-file, SB 586, was also heard on February 13, 2024 in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Dominic Butchko submitted written testimony in support of this bill.
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