SB 321 — Revises provisions relating to public utilities. (BDR 58-1078)

S.B.Senate Bill No.

321321–Senator SENATENguyen BCHAPTER.......... ILLN O.

321–SENATOR NGUYEN M ARCH 11, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Growth and Infrastructure SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to public utilities.

(BDR 58-1078) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

No.

Effect on the State:

No.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

Existing law provides that a person who violates regulations adopted by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada in conformity with the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968, 49 U.S.C.

§§ 60101 et seq., is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $200,000 for each violation for each day that the violation persists, up to a Existing federal law and regulations establish corresponding civil penalties relating to pipeline safety violations, the amounts of which are required to be adjusted each year to account for inflation and currently may not exceed $272,926 for each violation for each day the violation persists, up to a maximum of $2,000,000$2,729,245 for any related series of violations.

(NRS 704.595) Existing federal law and regulations establish corresponding civil penalties relating year to account for inflation and currently may not exceed $272,926 for eachted each violation for each day the violation persists, up to a maximum of $2,729,245 for any related series of violations.

§ 190.223(a)) This bill revises the amount of the civil penalty to align with the amount that may be charged for the corresponding civil penalties under federal law.

amount that may Existing law also provides that the amount of the civil penalty may be deducted thesefrom provisions.any sum owed to the person by the State.

to(NRS the704.595) personThis bybill theremoves State.these provisions.

(NRSEXPLANATION 704.595)– ThisMatter billin removesbolded THEitalics PEOPLEis OFnew; THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Any person who violates any provision of any regulation adopted by the Commission in conformity with the - *SB321* – 2 – Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968, as amended, 49 U.S.C.

§§ 60101 et seq., or with a federal regulation adopted pursuant thereto, is subject to a civil penalty in an amount that may not [to exceed $200,000 for each violation for each day that the violation persists, but the maximum civil penalty must not exceed $2,000,000 for any related series of violations.

Unless compromised, the amount of any such civil penalty must be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.] be greater than the monetary amount of the corresponding civil penalty for the applicable violation pursuant to 46 U.S.C.

§ 60122(a), including any adjustments made to the civil penalty pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adj2.tmAnyAdjustment civilAct penaltyImprovements mayAct beof compromised2015, byPub. the Commission.

InL. determining the amount of the penalty, or the amount agreed upon in compromise, the appropriateness of the penalty to the size of the business of the person charged, the gravity of the violation, and the good faith of the person charged in attempting to achieve compliance, after notification of a violation, must be considered.

114-74.

- 83rd Session (2025) – 2 – In determining the amount of the penalty, or the amount agreed.

upon in compromise, the appropriateness of the penalty to the size of the business of the person charged, the gravity of the violation, and the good faith of the person charged in attempting to achieve compliance, after notification of a violation, must be considered.

H~~~~~ 25 - *SB321*83rd Session (2025)