Modern Risk Detection Act of 2025

The Modern Risk Detection Act of 2025 would amend the federal pipeline safety law (title 49, United States Code) to require the Secretary (typically the Secretary of Transportation) to ensure that the standards governing pipeline safety allow, to the maximum extent practicable, the use of risk-based approaches by owners and operators of certain pipeline facilities. In essence, the bill invites and protects flexibility for risk-based methods—such as probabilistic risk assessments or performance-based strategies—when complying with pipeline safety standards. It does not prescribe a specific risk methodology or create new programs; rather, it directs standard-setters to accommodate risk-based approaches within the existing regulatory framework. The measure signals a shift toward allowing more flexible, evidence-based safety practices in the pipeline sector, potentially improving safety outcomes while giving operators leeway to tailor compliance to measurable risks. However, it leaves the details of how risk-based methods are applied to regulators and stakeholders to future rulemaking and guidance.