U.S. Energy Law: Nuclear
The focus of this guide is the U.S. federal regulation of nuclear energy.
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Codified (Current) Laws & Compiled Legislative Histories
- Atomic Energy Act of 1946, ch. 724, 60 Stat. 755 (1946), 42 U.S.C. §§2011 et seq.
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- Legislative History
- Atomic Energy Act amendments of 1954, Pub. L. No. 83-703, 68 Stat. 919 (1954), 42 U.S.C. §§2011 et seq.
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- Legislative History
- Private Ownership of Special Nuclear Materials Act, Pub. L. No. 88-489, 78 Stat. 602 (1964), 42 U.S.C. §§2012 et seq.
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- Legislative History
- Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-438, 88 Stat. 1233 (1974), 42 U.S.C. §§5801 et seq.
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Reorganized and consolidated certain functions of the federal government into a new Energy Research and Development Administration and in a new Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
- Legislative History
- Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-604, 92 Stat. 3021 (1978), 42 U.S.C. §§7901 et seq.
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- Legislative History
- Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 (LLRWPA) , Pub. L. No. 96–573, 94 Stat. 3347 (1980), 42 USCA §§2021b - 2021j
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- Legislative History
- Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA), Pub. L. No. 97–425, 96 Stat. 2201 (1983), 42 USCA §§10101 et seq.
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- Legislative History
- Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 (LLRWPA) , Pub. L. No. 99–240, Title I, 99 Stat. 1842 (1986), 42 USCA §§2021b - 2021j
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Title I is cited as the Low - Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985.
- Legislative History
- Omnibus Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Interstate Compact Consent Act, Pub. L. No. 99–240, Title II, 99 Stat. 1842 (1986), 42 USCA §§2021b - 2021j
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Title II is cited as the Omnibus Low-Level Radioactive Waste Interstate Compact Consent Act.
- Legislative History
- Nuclear Waste Policy Act Amendments of 1987, Pub. L. No. 100–203, Title V, Subtitle A, 101 Stat. 1330–227 (1987), 42 USCA §§10101 et seq.
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(Title V, Subtitle A of Pub. L. 100-203, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987).
- Legislative History
- Energy Policy Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-486, 106 Stat. 2776 (1992) (codified in scattered sections of 12 U.S.C., 16 U.S.C., 25 U.S.C., 26 U.S.C., 30 U.S.C., 42 U.S.C.)
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Title VIII: High-Level Radioactive Waste; Title X: Remedial Action and Uranium Revitalization; Title XI: Uranium Enrichment Health, Safety, and Environment Issues; Title XXI: Energy and Environment, Subtitle C: Advanced Nuclear Reactors; Title XXVIII: Nuclear Plant Licensing; Title XXIX: Additional Nuclear Energy Provisions
- Legislative History
- Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), , Pub. L. No. 109-58, 119 Stat. 594 (2005), (codified in scattered sections of 7 U.S.C., 10 U.S.C., 15 U.S.C., 16 U.S.C., 22 U.S.C., 26 U.S.C., 30 U.S.C., 40 U.S.C., 42 U.S.C.)
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Amended the definition of "low-level radioactive waste" set forth in the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985.
- Legislative History
- Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017, Pub. L. No. 115–248, 132 Stat. 3154 (2018), 42 U.S.C. §15801 note
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- Legislative History
- Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA), Pub. L. No. 115–439, 132 Stat. 5565 (2019), 42 U.S.C. § 2011 note
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- Legislative History
Current Legislation
Sources for locating current U.S. Congressional bills, hearings, committee reports, and debate:
- Congress.gov
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- CQ Federal
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- govinfo
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- ProQuest Congressional
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Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports
CRS attorneys write reports containing concise, nonpartisan analysis of policy issues before Congress.
Some CRS reports are periodically revised. To locate the most recent version of a report or other CRS reports, search:
- Bloomberg Law
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- Congress.gov
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- HeinOnline
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- Lexis Advance
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- Proquest Congressional
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Selected CRS Reports:
- Advanced Nuclear Reactors: Technology Overview and Current Issues
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- Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal
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- Nuclear Energy: Overview of Congressional Issues
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- U.S. Nuclear Plant Shutdowns, State Interventions, and Policy Concerns
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U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Reports
GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars and reports on how well government programs and policies are meeting their objectives.
GAO Reports 
Selected Reports:
- Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Needs to Address Weaknesses in Program and Contractor Management at Los Alamos (2023)
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- Fusion Energy: Potentially Transformative Technology Still Faces Fundamental Challenges (2023)
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Related Guides
- Federal Legislative History
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(GW Law Library) - Federal Statutory Law
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(GW Law Library) - Bluebook and Citation Resources
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(GW Law Library)