[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 12, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1080-E1081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY UNIVERSITY NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JUDY BIGGERT

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 12, 2001

  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced the Department of 
Energy University Nuclear Science and Engineering Act, the text of 
which follows:

                                 H.R.--

       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 old 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 1950's and 1960's 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, 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 50 percent of industry's 
     nuclear workforce can retire 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 
     tomorrows 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 and engineering

     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 under-graduate 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.
       (e) 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 relicensing 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.

[[Page E1081]]

       (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.


                          Additional Sponsors

       Pursuant to Clause 4 of rule XXII of the Rules of the House 
     of Representatives, the following sponsors are hereby added 
     to the bill:
       Tammy Baldwin, Roscoe Bartlett, Joe Knollenberg, Vernon 
     Ehlers, Michael Simpson, Darlene Hooley, Heather Wilson, Ted 
     Strickland, C.L. ``Butch'' Otter, and Ken Calvert.

     

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