Nuclear Waste Transportation Safety Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Public Works and Transportation.
Nuclear Waste Transportation Safety Act of 1979 - Declares it the policy of Congress that the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, (NRC) has principal responsibility for the transportation of nuclear waste and radioactive commercial spent fuel. Amends the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act to define the terms used in such Act. Designates commercial spent fuel and transuranic waste in quantities greater than one kilogram as hazardous material. Sets forth the responsibilities of the Secretary of Transportation concerning nuclear materials transportation. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the NRC, to formulate and send to Congress a national emergency response plan to deal with emergency situations that may occur during the shipment of radioactive material. Authorizes the Secretary to provide grants to any State to assist it in conducting a review of the safety and logistics of shipment associated with any proposal to develop a long-term storage or disposal facility which would result in nuclear waste or commercial spent fuel being shipped within the State. Limits grants to $50,000. Sets forth notification procedures for the acceptance of nuclear waste or commercial spent fuel from any non-domestic source. Requires the annual report on the transportation of hazardous materials to include the following items relating to radioactive materials: (1) a review of shipment safety requirements; (2) a compilation of data to aid in risk assessment; (3) recommendations for Federal routing guidelines or requirements; and (4) an assessment of the Nation's inventory of containers, packages, and vehicles suitable for the shipment of nuclear waste or commercial spent fuel. Authorizes the appropriation of $6,000,000 for fiscal year 1980, and for each of the two succeeding fiscal years. Allocates the funds within such Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on April 24, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on April 24, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Public Works and Transportation.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HAROLD RUNNELS (D-NM) introduced it on April 24, 1979. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on April 24, 1979, 17306 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17306 days ago, on April 24, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers