DOE spending bill 2001 passed by Congress

October 11, 2000, 10:21am CDT

Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill 2001 was passed. The Conference Report was passed by the House and Senate and sent to the White House. The ANS Washington Office submitted the attached report.

The Conferees completed action on the 2001 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill last Tuesday, September 26, 2000. The following day, the House passed the Conference Report (106-907) by a roll call vote of 301-118. On Monday, the Senate adopted the Conference Report with a roll call vote of 57 to 37. While there is a veto threat on the measure due to the inclusion of a Missouri River water project, House and Senate leaders are still planning to send the adopted Conference Report to the White House.

Without an enacted appropriations bill for FY 2001, DOE and its programs are currently operating under a Continuing Resolution, which will expire on October 14.

Highlights of the Conference Report of interest to ANS are provided below.


*Non-Defense*

Nuclear Energy:
	$260M, slightly above request. Uranium Programs ($62.4M) transferred to the new Uranium Facilities Maintenance and Remediation account.

	Isotope Support:
		$19.2M, $2M above request for isotope production facility at Los Alamos.

	NEPO & NERI:
		Funded at request of $5 million and $35 million, respectively. The NERI number assumes the initiation of the I-NERI program.

	Nuclear Energy Technologies:
		$7.5M provided for new activities, including $4.5 million for Generation IV roadmapping as contained in the Senate version of the bill.

	University Reactor Program:
		$12M, same as the budget request

	FFTF:
		$44M, as requested.

Nuclear Waste Disposal:
	$391M, a reduction of $40M from the request, with an additional $10M available if the Secretary certifies it is needed. $75M that was set aside for spent fuel storage was rescinded.

Science Programs -
	Basic Energy Science:
		$1,013.4M, as requested in the DOE budget.
		Spallation Neutron Source: $259.5M, as requested
		Advanced Scientific Computing Research: $170M, reduced from request of $182M
	Fusion Energy:
		$255M, above request by $11 million
	Biological & Environmental Research:
		$500.2M, including $20.1 million to continue the DOE low-dose effects program.

Non-Defense Environmental Management:
	$277.8M

Uranium Facilities:
	Includes UED&D as well as Uranium Programs, formerly funded in Energy Supply. Uranium/Thorium reimbursement more than double the request of $30M at $72M. Depleted UF6 funded at $22M.

*Defense*

Weapons Activities: $5,015.2M, $319M above request. Authority granted for internal reprogramming of up to $5M or 5 percent, whichever is less. National Ignition Facility Construction: $199.1M, with restrictions. $130M is provided with the remaining $69.1M to be made available after March 31, 2001, after all six requirements are met.

Nonproliferation:
	$874.2M, $30M below request.
	Long-Term Russia Initiative:
		$53M, below request of $100M.

Naval Reactors:
	$690M, $17M above request.

Defense EM:
	$6,122.2M, essentially at request level.
	Hanford Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) project:
		moved from the privatization account funded at $377M in new funds and rescinded $97M in previously appropriated funds.

Emergency funding for wildfire relief & recovery losses at Los Alamos:
	$203.5M, requires Presidential request as emergency funding in FY 2001.

Advanced Accelerator Applications:
	$34M, which was not requested. This program is to be managed by the Office of Nuclear Energy

*Language*

Contractor Travel:
	$175M ceiling with an additional $10M reserve.

LDRD:
	Restored up to 6%, up from 4% in FY00, and LDRD for Nuclear Weapons plants, including Savannah River, allowed at 2%. Prohibition on EM LDRD is lifted.

Polygraph Examination Requirement at LANL:
	Eliminated language that would withhold salary based on a failure to accept a polygraph examination.

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION:
	The Conference agreement includes language extending the NRC' authority to assess license and annual fees through 2005. The authority provided reduces the fee recovery requirement from 100 percent to 98 percent in 2001, and further decreases the fee incrementally until the fee recovery requirement is reduced to 90 percent in 2005.

The total amount appropriated in the measure is $24 billion, an increase of $920 million over the budget request.

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DOE spending bill 2001 passed by Congress