School districts; require to test liquefied petroleum gas piping systems in their facilities., the official text

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2026 Regular Session

To: Energy

By: Senator(s) Carter

Senate Bill 2787

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO TEST LIQUEFIED
PETROLEUM GAS PIPING SYSTEMS IN THEIR FACILITIES; TO PRESCRIBE APPLICABILITY;
TO DEFINE TERMS; TO CREATE A DUTY TO CONDUCT AN ANNUAL PRESSURE TEST; TO
PROVIDE FOR CONDUCTING THE TEST; TO REQUIRE THE TEST TO BE PERFORMED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION 54 AND SUCH RULES AND
REGULATIONS AS MAY BE ISSUED BY THE STATE LIQUEFIED COMPRESSED GAS BOARD; TO
DESCRIBE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TEST; TO REQUIRE NOTICE OF THE TEST TO THE SCHOOL'S
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS DISTRIBUTOR; TO REQUIRE THE DISTRIBUTOR TO MAINTAIN A
COPY OF SUCH NOTICE UNTIL THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF RECEIPT OF THE NOTICE; TO
PROVIDE FOR DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE BY A DISTRIBUTOR; TO STIPULATE THAT A
DISTRIBUTOR IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM A FAILURE TO
DISCONTINUE SERVICE FOR A FACILITY OTHER THAN A SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITY; TO
REQUIRE THAT RESULTS OF ANNUAL PRESSURE TESTS BE REPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF TESTING; TO REQUIRE REPORTS OF LEAKAGE; TO
AUTHORIZE THE STATE LIQUEFIED COMPRESSED GAS BOARD, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF
THE COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE, TO PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS IT
DEEMS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE FOR IMPLEMENTATION; TO STIPULATE THAT THIS ACT
SHALL BE CODIFIED IN CHAPTER 57, TITLE 75, IN A NEW ARTICLE 3 ENTITLED
"TESTING OF LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS PIPING SYSTEMS IN SCHOOL
FACILITIES"; TO AMEND SECTION 77-11-405, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO
REVISE PROVISIONS RELATING TO NATURAL GAS TESTING; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1.  Applicability.
This act applies to a facility of a public elementary or secondary school,
including a charter school, or a private elementary or secondary school,
inclusive of all buildings and structures located on the school grounds where
liquefied petroleum gas is used or piped.  This act does not apply to a home
school.

SECTION 2.  Definitions.
For the purposes of this act, the definitions ascribed to terms in Section 75-57-5
are also applicable to this act.

SECTION 3.  Duty
to Pressure Test.  (1)  A person responsible for a school facility shall
perform an annual pressure test on the liquefied petroleum gas piping system in
the school facility.  The test must be performed and results reported to the
facility's liquefied petroleum gas distributor before the beginning of the
school year each academic year.

(2)  If the person
responsible for one or more school facilities operates the facilities on a year-round
calendar, the pressure test in each of those facilities must be conducted by
the facility's liquefied petroleum gas distributor not later than July 1 of the
year in which the pressure test is performed. If the pressure test is performed
by some other qualified person not affiliated with the distributor, then the
results of the test must be reported to the distributor not later than July 1
of the year in which the pressure test is performed.

(3)  A liquefied petroleum
gas piping pressure test shall be performed in accordance with the requirements
of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 54 (National Fuel Gas Code)
and the rules and regulations as may be issued by the State Liquefied
Compressed Gas Board.

SECTION 4.  Requirements
of the Test.  (1)  The person responsible for a school facility shall have
a pressure test performed by a liquefied petroleum gas distributor authorized
to operate in this state, or by a person qualified to install, alter, or repair
a liquefied compressed gas system, who has an appropriate permit to perform
such activity issued by the State Liquefied Compressed Gas Board pursuant to
the provisions of Section 75-57-1 et seq. The testing shall be sufficient to
determine whether the liquefied petroleum gas piping downstream of the school
facility's liquefied petroleum gas tank holds at least normal operating
pressure over a specified period determined by the applicable codes, rules and
regulations.

(2)  During the pressure
test, each system supply inlet and outlet in the school facility must be
closed.

(3)  At the request of a
person responsible for a school facility, the Liquefied Compressed Gas Division
of the Mississippi Insurance Department shall assist the person in developing a
procedure for conducting a test.

SECTION 5.  Notice
of Test.  (1)  A person responsible for a school facility shall provide
written notice to the school's liquefied petroleum gas distributor specifying
the date and result of each pressure test or other inspection.

(2)  The liquefied petroleum
gas distributor shall maintain a copy of the notice until at least the first
anniversary of the date on which the supplier received the notice.

SECTION 6.  Discontinuance
of Service.  (1)  A distributer shall discontinue service to a school facility
if:

(a)  The distributor
receives official notification from the firm or individual conducting the test
of a hazardous liquefied petroleum gas leakage in the facility piping system;
or

(b)  A test or other
inspection at the facility is not performed as required by this article.

(2)  Once service has been
discontinued, the liquefied petroleum gas distributor shall not resupply gas to
the system until the leak has been repaired by a qualified installer, or a
subsequent test verifies the piping system is safe for service.

(3)  A distributor is not
liable for any damages that result from a failure to discontinue service as
required by paragraph (b) of subsection (1) for a facility other than a school
district facility.

SECTION 7.  Report
of Leakage.  (1)  The results of the annual pressure test in any facility
of a public elementary or secondary school, including a charter school, or any
school accredited by the State Board of Education, must be reported to the
State Department of Education within thirty (30) days of the testing.

(2)  An identified liquefied
petroleum gas leakage in a school district facility in the performance of the
required testing must be reported by the firm or individual conducting the test
to the board of trustees of the district in which the facility is located, as
well as the State Department of Education.  An identified liquefied petroleum
gas leakage in the performance of the required testing in another school
facility must be reported by the firm or individual conducting the test to the
person responsible for the school facility.

SECTION 8.  Rules
and Enforcement.  The State Liquefied Compressed Gas Board, subject to the
approval of the Commissioner of Insurance, is authorized to promulgate such
rules and regulations as it deems necessary or appropriate to implement the
requirements of this act.

SECTION 9.  Sections
1 through 8 of this act shall be codified in Chapter 57, Title 75, Mississippi
Code of 1972, as a new Article 3 entitled "Testing of Liquefied Petroleum
Gas Piping Systems in School Facilities."

SECTION 10.  Section
77-11-405, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

77-11-405.  (1)  (a)  No
later than January 1, 2027, a person responsible for a school facility shall
perform a pressure test on fifty percent (50%) of the natural gas piping
systems in the school facility.  The test must be performed and results
reported to the facility's natural gas supplier before the beginning of the
school year for the 2027-2028 academic year.

(b)  No later than
January 1, 2028, a person responsible for a school facility shall perform a
pressure test on the remaining fifty percent (50%) of the natural gas piping
systems in the school facility that were not tested as provided in paragraph
(a) of this subsection.  The test must be performed and results reported to the
facility's natural gas supplier before the beginning of the school year for the
2028-2029 academic year.

(2)  After January 1,
2028, a person responsible for a school facility shall perform an annual
pressure test on the natural gas piping system in the school facility. The test
must be performed and results reported to the facility's natural gas supplier
before the beginning of the school year each academic year.

( * * *23)  After January 1, 2028, if the
person responsible for one or more school facilities operates the facilities on
a year-round calendar, the pressure test in each of those facilities must be
conducted and reported to the facility's natural gas supplier not later than
July 1 of the year in which the pressure test is performed.

( * * *34)  A natural gas piping pressure test
performed under a municipal code satisfies the pressure testing requirements
prescribed by this section.

SECTION 11.  This act
shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.