[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 242 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 242

  To authorize funding for University Nuclear Science and Engineering 
  Programs at the Department of Energy for fiscal years 2002 through 
                                 2006.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 1, 2001

Mr. Bingaman (for himself, Mr. Domenici, and Mr. Crapo) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize funding for University Nuclear Science and Engineering 
  Programs at the Department of Energy for fiscal years 2002 through 
                                 2006.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as ``Department of Energy University Nuclear 
Science and Engineering Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) U.S. university nuclear science and engineering 
        programs are in a state of serious decline. The supply of 
        bachelor degree nuclear science and engineering personnel in 
        the United States is at a 35-year-low. The number of four year 
        degree nuclear engineering programs has declined 50 percent to 
        approximately 25 programs nationwide. Over two-thirds of the 
        faculty in these programs are 45 years or older.
            (2) Universities cannot afford to support their research 
        and training reactors. Since 1980, the number of small training 
        reactors in the United States have declined by over 50 percent 
        to 28 reactors. Most of these reactors were built in the late 
        1950s and 1960s with 30- to 40-year operating licenses, and 
        will require re-licensing in the next several years.
            (3) The neglect in human investment and training 
        infrastructure is affecting 50 years of national R&D 
        investment. The decline in a competent nuclear workforce, and 
        the lack of adequately trained nuclear scientists and 
        engineers, will affect the ability of the United States to 
        solve future waste storage issues, maintain basic nuclear 
        health physics programs, operate existing and design future 
        fission reactors in the United States, respond to future 
        nuclear events worldwide, help stem the proliferation of 
        nuclear weapons, and design and operate naval nuclear reactors.
            (4) Future neglect in the nation's investment in human 
        resources for the nuclear sciences will lead to a downward 
        spiral. As the number of nuclear science departments shrink, 
        faculties age, and training reactors close, the appeal of 
        nuclear science will be lost to future generations of students.
            (5) Current projections are that 76 percent of the nation's 
        professional nuclear workforce can retire in 5 years, a new 
        supply of trained scientists and engineers is needed.
            (6) The Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, 
        Science and Technology is well suited to help maintain 
        tomorrow's human resource and training investment in the 
        nuclear sciences. Through its support of research and 
        development pursuant to the Department's statutory authorities, 
        the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology is the 
        principal federal agent for civilian research in the nuclear 
        sciences for the United States. The Office maintains the 
        Nuclear Engineering and Education Research Program which funds 
        basic nuclear science and engineering. The Office funds the 
        Nuclear Energy and Research Initiative which funds applied 
        collaborative research among universities, industry and 
        national laboratories in the areas of proliferation resistant 
        fuel cycles and future fission power systems. The Office funds 
        Universities to refuel training reactors from highly enriched 
        to low enriched proliferation tolerant fuels, performs 
        instrumentation upgrades and maintains a program of student 
        fellowships for nuclear science, engineering and health 
        physics.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Energy, through the Office of 
Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, shall support a program to 
maintain the nation's human resource investment and infrastructure in 
the nuclear sciences and engineering consistent with the Department's 
statutory authorities related to civilian nuclear research and 
development.
    (b) Duties of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and 
Technology.--In carrying out the program under this Act, the Director 
of the Office of Nuclear Science and Technology shall--
            (1) develop a robust graduate and undergraduate fellowship 
        program to attract new and talented students;
            (2) assist universities in recruiting and retaining new 
        faculty in the nuclear sciences and engineering through a 
        Junior Faculty Research Initiation Grant Program;
            (3) maintain a robust investment in the fundamental nuclear 
        sciences and engineering through the Nuclear Engineering 
        Education Research Program;
            (4) encourage collaborative nuclear research between 
        industry, national laboratories and universities through the 
        Nuclear Energy Research Initiative; and
            (5) support communication and outreach related to nuclear 
        science and engineering.
    (c) Maintaining University Research and Training Reactors and 
Associated Infrastructure.--Within the funds authorized to be 
appropriated pursuant to this Act, the amounts specified under section 
4(b) shall, subject to appropriations, be available for the following 
research and training reactor infrastructure maintenance and research:
            (1) Refueling of research reactors with low enriched fuels, 
        upgrade of operational instrumentation, and sharing of reactors 
        among universities.
            (2) In collaboration with the U.S. nuclear industry, 
        assistance, where necessary, in re-licensing and upgrading 
        training reactors as part of a student training program.
            (3) A reactor research and training award program that 
        provides for reactor improvements as part of a focused effort 
        that emphasizes research, training, and education.
    (d) University-DOE Laboratory Interactions.--The Secretary of 
Energy, through the Office of Nuclear Science and Technology, shall 
develop--
            (1) a sabbatical fellowship program for university 
        professors to spend extended periods of time at Department of 
        Energy laboratories in the areas of nuclear science and 
        technology; and
            (2) a visiting scientist program in which laboratory staff 
        can spend time in academic nuclear science and engineering 
        departments. The Secretary may under section 3(b)(1) provide 
        for fellowships for students to spend time at Department of 
        Energy laboratories in the area of nuclear science under the 
        mentorship of laboratory staff.
    (e) Operations and Maintenance.--For the research programs 
described, portions thereof may be used to supplement operation of the 
research reactor during investigator's proposed effort provided the 
host institution provides cost sharing in the reactor's operation.
    (f) Merit Review Required.--All grants, contracts, cooperative 
agreements, or other financial assistance awards under this Act shall 
be made only after independent merit review.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Total Authorization.--The following sums are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy, to remain available until 
expended, for the purposes of carrying out this Act:
            (1) $30,200,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $42,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $47,850,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $55,600,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $64,100,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (b) Graduate and Undergraduate Fellowships.--Of the funds under 
subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out section 3(b)(1):
            (1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $3,100,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (c) Junior Faculty Research Initiation Grant Program.--Of the funds 
under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(2):
            (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (d) Nuclear Engineering and Education Research Program.--Of the 
funds under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(3):
            (1) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (e) Communication and Outreach Related to Nuclear Science and 
Engineering.--Of the funds under subsection (a), the following sums are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(5):
            (1) $200,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $200,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $300,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $300,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $300,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (f) Refueling of Research Reactors and Instrumentation Upgrades.--
Of the funds under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out section 3(c)(1):
            (1) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $6,500,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (g) Re-Licensing Assistance.--Of the funds under subsection (a), 
the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
section 3(c)(2):
            (1) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $1,100,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $1,200,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $1,300,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $1,300,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (h) Reactor Research and Training Award Program.--Of the funds 
under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 3(c)(3):
            (1) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (i) University-DOE Laboratory Interactions.--Of the funds under 
subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out section 3(d):
            (1) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $1,100,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $1,200,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $1,300,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $1,300,000 for fiscal year 2006.
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