1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Methane Emissions Mitigation Research and Development Act . 2. Methane emission detection and mitigation (a) In general Subtitle F of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 969E. Methane leak detection and mitigation (a) Technical assistance (1) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall carry out a program of methane emissions detection and mitigation research, development, and demonstration for technologies and methods that significantly detect, quantify, and mitigate methane emissions. In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall— (A) enter into cooperative agreements with State or local governments, institutions of higher education, or for-profit entities to provide technical assistance to— (i) prevent or respond to methane releases, including prediction, detection, mitigation, quantification, and identification of leaks, vents, and other outflows throughout the natural gas infrastructure (including natural gas storage, pipelines, and natural gas production sites); and (ii) protect public health in the event of a major methane release; (B) in coordination with representatives from private sector entities, State and local governments, and institutions of higher education, establish a publicly accessible resource for best practices in the design, construction, maintenance, performance, monitoring, and incident response for— (i) pipeline systems, including compressor stations; (ii) production wells; (iii) storage facilities; and (iv) other vulnerable infrastructure