The recent gas explosion in California is prompting the Obama administration to seek stricter oversight of the nation's pipelines.

The U.S. Department of Transportation introduced legislation on Wednesday that would strengthen penalties for pipeline safety violations.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said his department "needs stronger authority to ensure the continued safety and reliability of our nation's pipeline network."

The legislation will also tighten oversight by adding 40 new inspectors and enforcement officers.

Some of the penalties pipelines face for violations could be more than doubled.

This follows last week's gas explosion near San Francisco that killed four people and destroyed dozens of homes.