H.R. 2699: Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2019

116th Congress

To amend the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Jerry McNerney — D — CA

Amends certain current-law programs and provisions related to nuclear waste disposal. Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA), the federal government, through the Department of Energy (DOE), is responsible for permanently disposing of the nation’s nuclear waste in a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Without changing that fundamental requirement, the bill limits, temporarily, DOE’s authority to collect certain fees charged to utilities with nuclear plants to cover the costs of disposing of the waste they generate, reclassifies those fees from mandatory offsetting receipts to discretionary offsetting collections, authorizes DOE to temporarily store nuclear waste at monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facilities, and authorizes DOE to enter into agreements to provide benefits to state, local, and tribal governments that might host or be affected by facilities related to the waste management program. The bill also requires various agencies to report to the Congress on nuclear waste programs and would require DOE to establish a grant program to study the epidemiological consequences of uranium mining and milling.

View the full vote history of this bill on GovTrack.us.