Each recipient of a grant under this section shall ensure that—

(1) In general.— The Secretary of Transportation may make grants for technical assistance to local communities and groups of individuals (not including for-profit entities) relating to the safety of pipeline facilities in local communities, other than facilities regulated under Public Law 93–153 (43 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.). No grants may be awarded under section 60114(g) until the Secretary has established competitive procedures for awarding grants under this section and criteria for selecting grant recipients. The amount of any grant under this section may not exceed $100,000 for a single grant recipient. The Secretary shall establish appropriate procedures to ensure the proper use of funds provided under this section.

(2) Demonstration grants.— At least the first 3 grants awarded under this section shall be demonstration grants for the purpose of demonstrating and evaluating the utility of grants under this section. Each such demonstration grant shall not exceed $25,000.

Each recipient of a grant under this section shall ensure that—

(A) the technical findings made possible by the grants are made available to the relevant operators; and

(B) open communication between the grant recipients, local operators, local communities, and other interested parties is encouraged.

(4) Technical assistance defined.— In this subsection, the term “technical assistance” means engineering and other scientific analysis of pipeline safety issues, including the promotion of public participation on technical pipeline safety issues in official proceedings conducted under this chapter.

Funds provided under this section to grant recipients and their contractors may not be used for lobbying, for direct advocacy for or against a pipeline construction or expansion project, or in direct support of litigation.

Of the amounts made available under section 2(b) of the PIPES Act of 2016, the Secretary shall expend $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019 to carry out this section. Such amounts shall not be derived from user fees collected under section 60301.

(Added Pub. L. 107–355, § 9(a), Dec. 17, 2002, 116 Stat. 2994; amended Pub. L. 109–468, § 5, Dec. 29, 2006, 120 Stat. 3490; Pub. L. 112–90, § 32(e), Jan. 3, 2012, 125 Stat. 1923; Pub. L. 113–188, title XV, § 1501(c), Nov. 26, 2014, 128 Stat. 2024; Pub. L. 114–183, §§ 2(d), 20(a), June 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 516, 527.)