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Summary:
Nuclear energy policy issues facing Congress include questions about radioactive waste management, research and development priorities, power plant safety and regulation, terrorism, the Price-Anderson Act accident liability system, nuclear weapons proliferation, and technology for producing nuclear fuel. Federal funding for nuclear energy research and development was substantially reduced by the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration proposed further cuts. However, in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 10766), Congress generally rejected those reduct ions. President Bush's FY2003 budget request includes $38.5 million for a Department of Energy (DOE) effort to encourage deployment of new commercial nuclear power plants by 2010. Several bills have been introduced in the 107 Congress to encourage the growth of nuclear power. A number of nuclear provisions are included in comprehensive energy legislation (H.R. 4) passed by the House August 2, 2001. Nuclear energy provisions are also included in omnibus energy legislation introduced by Senator Daschle December 5, 2001 (S. 1766). Similar provisions are in a Daschle amendment (S.Amdt. 2917), which was offered on the floor to another energy bill, S. 517, on February 15, 2002.
