[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3828 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3828

 To authorize funding for University Nuclear Science, Engineering, and 
 Health Physics Programs at the Department of Energy for fiscal years 
                           2005 through 2008.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2004

 Mrs. Biggert introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize funding for University Nuclear Science, Engineering, and 
 Health Physics Programs at the Department of Energy for fiscal years 
                           2005 through 2008.

    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 the ``Department of Energy University 
Nuclear Science, Engineering, and Health Physics Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) United States university nuclear science, engineering, 
        and health programs are in a state of serious decline. The 
        supply of bachelor degree nuclear science, engineering, and 
        health physics personnel in the United States is lower than the 
        number of jobs available, resulting in a shortage of these 
        critical professionals. The number of 4-year degree nuclear 
        engineering programs has declined 50 percent to approximately 
        25 programs nationwide. Over \2/3\ of the faculty in these 
        programs are 45 years or older and there are few tenure track 
        junior faculty positions available.
            (2) Universities are finding it increasingly difficult to 
        fund the operational costs of their research and training 
        reactors. Since 1980, the number of small training reactors in 
        the United States has declined by over 50 percent to 27 
        reactors. Most of these reactors were built in the late 1950's 
        and 1960's with 30- to 40-year operating licenses, and will 
        require relicensing in the next several years.
            (3) The neglect in human investment and training 
        infrastructure is affecting 50 years of national research and 
        development investment. The decline in a competent nuclear 
        workforce, and the lack of adequately trained nuclear 
        scientists, engineers, and health physicists, will affect the 
        ability of the United States to solve future waste storage 
        issues, 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 shrinks, 
        faculties age, and training reactors close, the appeal of 
        nuclear science will be lost to future generations of students.
            (5) Current projections are that 50 percent of industry's 
        nuclear workforce can retire in 10 to 15 years, and 76 percent 
        of the nuclear workforce at our national labs can retire in the 
        next 5 years. A new supply of trained scientists and engineers 
        to replace this retiring workforce is urgently 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 
invest in human resources and infrastructure in the nuclear sciences, 
engineering, and health physics fields, consistent with the 
Department's statutory authorities related to civilian nuclear research 
and development.
    (b) Duties.--In carrying out the program under this Act, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) establish a graduate and undergraduate fellowship 
        program to attract new and talented students;
            (2) establish a Junior Faculty Research Initiation Grant 
        Program to assist institutions of higher education in 
        recruiting and retaining new faculty in the nuclear sciences, 
        engineering, and health physics;
            (3) support fundamental nuclear sciences, engineering, and 
        health physics research through the Nuclear Engineering 
        Education Research Program;
            (4) encourage collaborative nuclear research and training 
        among industry, National Laboratories, and institutions of 
        higher education; and
            (5) support communication and outreach related to nuclear 
        science, engineering, and health physics.
    (c) Strengthening University Research and Training Reactors and 
Associated Infrastructure.--Activities under this section may include--
            (1) converting research reactors currently using high-
        enrichment fuels to low-enrichment fuels, upgrading operational 
        instrumentation, and sharing of reactors among institutions of 
        higher education;
            (2) providing technical assistance, in collaboration with 
        the United States nuclear industry, in relicensing and 
        upgrading training reactors as part of a student training 
        program; and
            (3) providing funding, through the Innovations in Nuclear 
        Infrastructure and Education Program, 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 Energy, Science, and Technology, 
shall develop--
            (1) a sabbatical fellowship program for professors at 
        institutions of higher education 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 National 
        Laboratory staff can spend time in academic nuclear science, 
        engineering, and health physics departments.
The Secretary may under subsection (b)(1) provide fellowships for 
students to spend time at National Laboratories in the areas of nuclear 
science, engineering, and health physics with a member of the 
Laboratory staff acting as a mentor.
    (e) Operations and Maintenance.--Funding for a research project 
provided under this section may be used to offset a portion of the 
operating and maintenance costs of a research reactor at an institution 
of higher education used in the research project.
    (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) $35,200,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (2) $44,350,000 for fiscal year 2006.
            (3) $49,200,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            (4) $54,950,000 for fiscal year 2008.
    (b) Graduate and Undergraduate Fellowships.--Of the funds 
authorized 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 2005.
            (2) $3,100,000 for fiscal year 2006.
            (3) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            (4) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2008.
    (c) Junior Faculty Research Initiation Grant Program.--Of the funds 
authorized under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(2):
            (1) $2,275,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (2) $3,675,000 for fiscal year 2006.
            (3) $4,150,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            (4) $5,150,000 for fiscal year 2008.
    (d) Nuclear Engineering Education Research and Nuclear Health 
Physics.--Of the funds authorized under subsection (a), the following 
sums are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(3):
            (1) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, of which $3,000,000 
        shall be for the nuclear health physics.
            (2) $15,600,000 for fiscal year 2006, of which $3,600,000 
        shall be for the nuclear health physics.
            (3) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2007, of which $4,000,000 
        shall be for the nuclear health physics.
            (4) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which $4,500,000 
        shall be for the nuclear health physics.
    (e) Communication and Outreach Related to Nuclear Science, 
Engineering, and Health Physics.--Of the funds authorized under 
subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out section 3(b)(5):
            (1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (2) $550,000 for fiscal year 2006.
            (3) $600,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            (4) $650,000 for fiscal year 2008.
    (f) Refueling of Research Reactors and Instrumentation Upgrades.--
Of the funds authorized 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 2005.
            (2) $6,500,000 for fiscal year 2006.
            (3) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            (4) $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2008.
    (g) Relicensing Assistance.--Of the funds authorized under 
subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out section 3(c)(2):
            (1) $700,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (2) $1,100,000 for fiscal year 2006.
            (3) $1,200,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            (4) $1,300,000 for fiscal year 2008.
    (h) Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure and Education Program.--
Of the funds authorized under subsection (a), the following sums are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 3(c)(3):
            (1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (2) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
            (3) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            (4) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
    (i) University-DOE Laboratory Interactions.--Of the funds 
authorized under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out section 3(d):
            (1) $1,725,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (2) $1,825,000 for fiscal year 2006.
            (3) $2,050,000 for fiscal year 2007.
            (4) $3,150,000 for fiscal year 2008.
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