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H. B. No. 1411 *HR26/R1917* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Public Utilities
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Ford (54th)
HOUSE BILL NO. 1411
AN ACT TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO TEST NATURAL GAS PIPING 1
SYSTEMS IN THEIR FACILITIES; TO CREATE THE DUTY TO PRESSURE TEST; 2
TO PRESCRIBE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TEST; TO REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTICE 3
OF THE TEST TO SUPPLIERS; TO PROVIDE FOR DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE 4
IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; TO REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO REPORT GAS LEAKAGE 5
TO SCHOOL BOARDS; TO ALLOW FOR THE PROMULGATION OF RULES; TO 6
PROVIDE FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 8
SECTION 1. Applicability. This article applies to a 9
facility of a public elementary or secondary school, including a 10
charter school, or a private elementary or secondary school, but 11
does not apply to a home school. 12
SECTION 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, 13
the following term has the meaning ascribed in this section: 14
"Supplier" means an individual or company that sells and 15
delivers natural gas to a school facility. If more than one (1) 16
individual or company sells and delivers natural gas to a school 17
facility, each individual or company is a supplier for purposes of 18
this article. 19
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SECTION 3. Duty to Pressure Test. (1) A person responsible 20
for a school facility shall perform an annual pressure test on the 21
natural gas piping system in the school facility. The test must 22
be performed and results reported to the facility's natural gas 23
supplier before the beginning of the school year each academic 24
year. 25
(2) If the person responsible for one or more school 26
facilities operates the facilities on a year-round calendar, the 27
pressure test in each of those facilities must be conducted and 28
reported to the facility's natural gas supplier not later than 29
July 1 of the year in which the pressure test is performed. 30
(3) A natural gas piping pressure test performed under a 31
municipal code satisfies the pressure testing requirements 32
prescribed by this section. 33
SECTION 4. Requirements of Test. (1) The person 34
responsible for a school facility shall have a pressure test 35
performed by a qualified plumber to determine whether the natural 36
gas piping downstream of the school facility's meter holds at 37
least normal operating pressure over a specified period determined 38
by the Mississippi Public Service Commission. 39
(2) During the pressure test, each system supply inlet and 40
outlet in the school facility must be closed. 41
(3) At the request of a person responsible for a school 42
facility, the Mississippi Public Service Commission shall assist 43
the person in developing a procedure for conducting a test. 44
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SECTION 5. Notice of Test. (1) A person responsible for a 45
school facility shall provide written notice to the school's 46
supplier specifying the date and result of each pressure test or 47
other inspection. 48
(2) The supplier shall maintain a copy of the notice until 49
at least the first anniversary of the date on which the supplier 50
received the notice. 51
SECTION 6. Discontinuance of Service. (1) A supplier shall 52
discontinue service to a school facility if: 53
(a) The supplier receives official notification from 54
the firm or individual conducting the test of a hazardous natural 55
gas leakage in the facility piping system; or 56
(b) A test or other inspection at the facility is not 57
performed as required by this article. 58
(2) A supplier is not liable for any damages that result 59
from a failure to discontinue service as required by subsection 60
(1)(b) of this section for a facility other than a school district 61
facility. 62
SECTION 7. Report of Leakage. (1) The results of the 63
annual pressure test in any facility of a public elementary or 64
secondary school, including a charter school, or any school 65
accredited by the State Board of Education, must be reported to 66
the State Department of Education within thirty (30) days of the 67
testing. 68
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(2) An identified natural gas leakage in a school district 69
facility in the performance of the required testing must be 70
reported by the firm or individual conducting the test to the 71
board of trustees of the district in which the facility is 72
located, as well as the State Department of Education. An 73
identified natural gas leakage in the performance of the required 74
testing in another school facility must be reported by the firm or 75
individual conducting the test to the person responsible for the 76
school facility. 77
SECTION 8. Rules and Enforcement. (1) The Mississippi 78
Public Service Commission, as the state agency charged with 79
enforcement of natural gas pipeline safety standards, shall 80
promulgate rules to implement the requirements of this subsection 81
on or before December 31, 2026, to be applicable for the 2027-2028 82
school year. 83
(2) For those suppliers that are natural gas utilities whose 84
rates are regulated by the Mississippi Public Service Commission, 85
each such natural gas utility may include in its energy efficiency 86
plan and/or energy delivery plan a program that provides financial 87
assistance for schools to offset the costs of implementation of 88
the Mississippi Public Service Commission's rules implementing 89
this article. 90
SECTION 9. Sections 1 through 8 of this act shall be 91
codified in Title 77, Chapter 11, Mississippi Code of 1972, as a 92
H. B. No. 1411 *HR26/R1917* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Natural gas piping systems; require testing
in school facilities.
new Article 9 entitled "Testing of Natural Gas Piping Systems in 93
School Facilities." 94
SECTION 10. Section 8 of this act shall take effect and be 95
in force from and after July 1, 2026, and the remainder of this 96
act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2027. 97