Union Calendar No. 362
117th CONGRESS 2d Session |
[Report No. 117–466]
To require the Secretary of Energy to revitalize existing university infrastructure relating to nuclear science and engineering and establish new university-based nuclear science and engineering facilities, and for other purposes.
July 29, 2021
Mr. Gonzalez of Ohio (for himself, Mr. Foster, Mr. Casten, and Mr. Meijer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
September 14, 2022
Additional sponsors: Ms. Ross, Mrs. Luria, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Wild, Mr. Lamb, Mr. Michael F. Doyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cartwright, Ms. Dean, Mr. Phillips, and Mr. Donalds
September 14, 2022
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 29, 2021]
To require the Secretary of Energy to revitalize existing university infrastructure relating to nuclear science and engineering and establish new university-based nuclear science and engineering facilities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “National Nuclear University Research Infrastructure Reinvestment Act of 2021”.
The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to upgrade the nuclear research capabilities of universities in the United States to meet the research requirements of advanced nuclear energy systems;
(3) to coordinate available resources to enable the establishment, including the start and efficient completion of construction, of new nuclear science and engineering facilities; and
(4) to support—
(A) workforce development critical to maintaining United States leadership in nuclear science and engineering and related disciplines; and
(B) the establishment or enhancement of nuclear science and engineering capabilities and other, related capabilities at historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal colleges or universities, minority-serving institutions, EPSCoR universities, junior or community colleges, and associate-degree-granting colleges.
SEC. 3. University infrastructure collaboration.
Section 954(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16274(a)) is amended—
(2) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:
“(4) STRENGTHENING UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND TRAINING REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE.—
“(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program under this subsection, the Secretary may support—
“(i) converting research reactors from high-enrichment fuels to low-enrichment fuels and upgrading operational instrumentation;
“(ii) revitalizing and upgrading existing nuclear science and engineering infrastructure that support the development of advanced nuclear technologies and applications;
SEC. 4. Advanced Nuclear Research Infrastructure Enhancement Subprogram.
Section 954(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16274(a)), as amended by section 3, is further amended—
(2) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
“(5) ADVANCED NUCLEAR RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENT.—
“(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a subprogram to be known as the Advanced Nuclear Research Infrastructure Enhancement Subprogram in order to—
“(B) NEW NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FACILITIES.—In carrying out the subprogram, the Secretary shall establish—
“(C) LOCATIONS.—New research reactors and facilities established under subparagraph (B) shall be established in a manner that—
“(D) FUEL REQUIREMENTS.—New research reactors established under subparagraph (B) shall not use high-enriched uranium, as defined in section 2001 of division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
(3) by amending paragraph (9), as redesignated by paragraph (1) of this subsection, to read as follows:
“(9) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:
“(A) ASSOCIATE-DEGREE-GRANTING COLLEGE.—The term ‘associate-degree-granting college’ means an institution of higher education (as determined under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that—
“(B) JUNIOR FACULTY.—The term ‘junior faculty’ means a faculty member who was awarded a doctorate less than 10 years before receipt of an award from the grant program described in paragraph (2)(B).
“(C) JUNIOR OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE.—The term ‘junior or community college’ has the meaning given the term in section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058).
“(D) EPSCoR UNIVERSITY.—The term ‘EPSCoR university’ means an institution of higher education located in a State eligible to participate in the program defined in section 502 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p note).
“(E) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The term ‘historically Black college or university’ has the meaning given the term ‘part B institution’ in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
“(F) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The term ‘minority-serving institution’ means a Hispanic-serving institution, an Alaska Native-serving institution, a Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, a Predominantly Black Institution, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, or a Native American-serving nontribal institution as described in section 371 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
“(G) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The term ‘Tribal college or university’ has the meaning given such term in section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c).”.
SEC. 5. Science education and human resources scholarships, fellowships, and research and development projects.
(a) In general.—The purpose of this section is to support a diverse workforce for the complex landscape associated with effective and equitable development of advanced nuclear energy technologies, including interdisciplinary research to enable positive impacts and avoid potential negative impacts across the lifespan of nuclear energy technologies.
(b) Nontechnical nuclear research.—Section 313 of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 111–8; 42 U.S.C. 16274a) is amended:
(1) in subsection (b)(2), after “engineering”, by inserting “, which may include nontechnical nuclear research”;
(2) in subsection (c), by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
“(3) NONTECHNICAL NUCLEAR RESEARCH.—The term ‘nontechnical nuclear research’ means research with specializations such as social sciences or law that can support an increase in community engagement, participation, and confidence in nuclear energy systems, including the navigation of the licensing required for advanced reactor deployment, aligned with the objectives in section 951(a)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271(a)(2)).”; and
Union Calendar No. 362 | |||||
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[Report No. 117–466] | |||||
A BILL | |||||
To require the Secretary of Energy to revitalize existing university infrastructure relating to nuclear science and engineering and establish new university-based nuclear science and engineering facilities, and for other purposes. | |||||
September 14, 2022 | |||||
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed |