School districts; require to test liquefied petroleum gas piping systems in their facilities.

S. B. No. 2787 *SS08/R1015SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS08/R1015SG
PAGE 1

To: Energy
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Carter

SENATE BILL NO. 2787
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO TEST LIQUEFIED 1
PETROLEUM GAS PIPING SYSTEMS IN THEIR FACILITIES; TO PRESCRIBE 2
APPLICABILITY; TO DEFINE TERMS; TO CREATE A DUTY TO CONDUCT AN 3
ANNUAL PRESSURE TEST; TO PROVIDE FOR CONDUCTING THE TEST; TO 4
REQUIRE THE TEST TO BE PERFORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NATIONAL 5
FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION 54 AND SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS 6
MAY BE ISSUED BY THE STATE LIQUEFIED COMPRESSED GAS BOARD; TO 7
DESCRIBE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TEST; TO REQUIRE NOTICE OF THE 8
TEST TO THE SCHOOL'S LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS DISTRIBUTOR; TO 9
REQUIRE THE DISTRIBUTOR TO MAINTAIN A COPY OF SUCH NOTICE UNTIL 10
THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF RECEIPT OF THE NOTICE; TO PROVIDE FOR 11
DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE BY A DISTRIBUTOR; TO STIPULATE THAT A 12
DISTRIBUTOR IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM A 13
FAILURE TO DISCONTINUE SERVICE FOR A FACILITY OTHER THAN A SCHOOL 14
DISTRICT FACILITY; TO REQUIRE THAT RESULTS OF ANNUAL PRESSURE 15
TESTS BE REPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WITHIN THIRTY 16
DAYS OF TESTING; TO REQUIRE REPORTS OF LEAKAGE; TO AUTHORIZE THE 17
STATE LIQUEFIED COMPRESSED GAS BOARD, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF 18
THE COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE, TO PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND 19
REGULATIONS AS IT DEEMS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE FOR 20
IMPLEMENTATION; TO STIPULATE THAT THIS ACT SHALL BE CODIFIED IN 21
CHAPTER 57, TITLE 75, IN A NEW ARTICLE 3 ENTITLED "TESTING OF 22
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS PIPING SYSTEMS IN SCHOOL FACILITIES"; TO 23
AMEND SECTION 77-11-405, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE 24
PROVISIONS RELATING TO NATURAL GAS TESTING; AND FOR RELATED 25
PURPOSES. 26
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 27
SECTION 1. Applicability. This act applies to a facility of 28
a public elementary or secondary school, including a charter 29
school, or a private elementary or secondary school, inclusive of 30
S. B. No. 2787 *SS08/R1015SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1015SG
PAGE 2

all buildings and structures located on the school grounds where 31
liquefied petroleum gas is used or piped. This act does not apply 32
to a home school. 33
SECTION 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this act, the 34
definitions ascribed to terms in Section 75-57-5 are also 35
applicable to this act. 36
SECTION 3. Duty to Pressure Test. (1) A person responsible 37
for a school facility shall perform an annual pressure test on the 38
liquefied petroleum gas piping system in the school facility. The 39
test must be performed and results reported to the facility's 40
liquefied petroleum gas distributor before the beginning of the 41
school year each academic year. 42
(2) If the person responsible for one or more school 43
facilities operates the facilities on a year-round calendar, the 44
pressure test in each of those facilities must be conducted by the 45
facility's liquefied petroleum gas distributor not later than July 46
1 of the year in which the pressure test is performed. If the 47
pressure test is performed by some other qualified person not 48
affiliated with the distributor, then the results of the test must 49
be reported to the distributor not later than July 1 of the year 50
in which the pressure test is performed. 51
(3) A liquefied petroleum gas piping pressure test shall be 52
performed in accordance with the requirements of the National Fire 53
Protection Association (NFPA) 54 (National Fuel Gas Code) and the 54
S. B. No. 2787 *SS08/R1015SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1015SG
PAGE 3

rules and regulations as may be issued by the State Liquefied 55
Compressed Gas Board. 56
SECTION 4. Requirements of the Test. (1) The person 57
responsible for a school facility shall have a pressure test 58
performed by a liquefied petroleum gas distributor authorized to 59
operate in this state, or by a person qualified to install, alter, 60
or repair a liquefied compressed gas system, who has an 61
appropriate permit to perform such activity issued by the State 62
Liquefied Compressed Gas Board pursuant to the provisions of 63
Section 75-57-1 et seq. The testing shall be sufficient to 64
determine whether the liquefied petroleum gas piping downstream of 65
the school facility's liquefied petroleum gas tank holds at least 66
normal operating pressure over a specified period determined by 67
the applicable codes, rules and regulations. 68
(2) During the pressure test, each system supply inlet and 69
outlet in the school facility must be closed. 70
(3) At the request of a person responsible for a school 71
facility, the Liquefied Compressed Gas Division of the Mississippi 72
Insurance Department shall assist the person in developing a 73
procedure for conducting a test. 74
SECTION 5. Notice of Test. (1) A person responsible for a 75
school facility shall provide written notice to the school's 76
liquefied petroleum gas distributor specifying the date and result 77
of each pressure test or other inspection. 78
S. B. No. 2787 *SS08/R1015SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1015SG
PAGE 4

(2) The liquefied petroleum gas distributor shall maintain a 79
copy of the notice until at least the first anniversary of the 80
date on which the supplier received the notice. 81
SECTION 6. Discontinuance of Service. (1) A distributer 82
shall discontinue service to a school facility if: 83
(a) The distributor receives official notification from 84
the firm or individual conducting the test of a hazardous 85
liquefied petroleum gas leakage in the facility piping system; or 86
(b) A test or other inspection at the facility is not 87
performed as required by this article. 88
(2) Once service has been discontinued, the liquefied 89
petroleum gas distributor shall not resupply gas to the system 90
until the leak has been repaired by a qualified installer, or a 91
subsequent test verifies the piping system is safe for service. 92
(3) A distributor is not liable for any damages that result 93
from a failure to discontinue service as required by paragraph (b) 94
of subsection (1) for a facility other than a school district 95
facility. 96
SECTION 7. Report of Leakage. (1) The results of the 97
annual pressure test in any facility of a public elementary or 98
secondary school, including a charter school, or any school 99
accredited by the State Board of Education, must be reported to 100
the State Department of Education within thirty (30) days of the 101
testing. 102
S. B. No. 2787 *SS08/R1015SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1015SG
PAGE 5

(2) An identified liquefied petroleum gas leakage in a 103
school district facility in the performance of the required 104
testing must be reported by the firm or individual conducting the 105
test to the board of trustees of the district in which the 106
facility is located, as well as the State Department of Education. 107
An identified liquefied petroleum gas leakage in the performance 108
of the required testing in another school facility must be 109
reported by the firm or individual conducting the test to the 110
person responsible for the school facility. 111
SECTION 8. Rules and Enforcement. The State Liquefied 112
Compressed Gas Board, subject to the approval of the Commissioner 113
of Insurance, is authorized to promulgate such rules and 114
regulations as it deems necessary or appropriate to implement the 115
requirements of this act. 116
SECTION 9. Sections 1 through 8 of this act shall be 117
codified in Chapter 57, Title 75, Mississippi Code of 1972, as a 118
new Article 3 entitled "Testing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Piping 119
Systems in School Facilities." 120
SECTION 10. Section 77-11-405, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 121
amended as follows: 122
77-11-405. (1) (a) No later than January 1, 2027, a person 123
responsible for a school facility shall perform a pressure test on 124
fifty percent (50%) of the natural gas piping systems in the 125
school facility. The test must be performed and results reported 126
S. B. No. 2787 *SS08/R1015SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1015SG
PAGE 6
ST: School districts; require to test liquefied
petroleum gas piping systems in their
facilities.
to the facility's natural gas supplier before the beginning of the 127
school year for the 2027-2028 academic year. 128
(b) No later than January 1, 2028, a person responsible 129
for a school facility shall perform a pressure test on the 130
remaining fifty percent (50%) of the natural gas piping systems in 131
the school facility that were not tested as provided in paragraph 132
(a) of this subsection. The test must be performed and results 133
reported to the facility's natural gas supplier before the 134
beginning of the school year for the 2028-2029 academic year. 135
(2) After January 1, 2028, a person responsible for a school 136
facility shall perform an annual pressure test on the natural gas 137
piping system in the school facility. The test must be performed 138
and results reported to the facility's natural gas supplier before 139
the beginning of the school year each academic year. 140
( * * *3) After January 1, 2028, if the person responsible 141
for one or more school facilities operates the facilities on a 142
year-round calendar, the pressure test in each of those facilities 143
must be conducted and reported to the facility's natural gas 144
supplier not later than July 1 of the year in which the pressure 145
test is performed. 146
( * * *4) A natural gas piping pressure test performed under 147
a municipal code satisfies the pressure testing requirements 148
prescribed by this section. 149
SECTION 11. This act shall take effect and be in force from 150
and after July 1, 2026. 151