SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Utility companies will be able to act more quickly to maintain and replace pipelines if a bill approved by the Assembly becomes law.

The legislation, which passed unanimously Thursday, is an attempt to prevent another accident like the pipeline explosion that rocked the San Francisco Bay area community of San Bruno two years ago.

Democratic Assemblywoman Fiona Ma wrote AB2564 after the accident destroyed a neighborhood near her district.

The bill aims to accelerate pipeline maintenance by reducing the amount of environmental review the projects must undergo. It does this by making some short stretches of pipeline exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.

The bill now moves to the Senate.