Nuclear Weapons Production Health and Safety Act of 1988
Latest action. Referred to subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Energy and the Environment.
Nuclear Weapons Production Health and Safety Act of 1988 - Title I: Nuclear Weapons Production Health and Safety Board - Establishes as an independent agency in the executive branch the Nuclear Weapons Production Health and Safety Board (the Board) whose function is to establish environmental protection and public and occupational health and safety standards for Department of Energy nuclear facilities. Empowers the Board to investigate: (1) any event at a Department of Energy nuclear facility posing a threat to the environment or to the public health and safety; and (2) nuclear materials transportation to and from such facilities which may pose threats. Directs the Board periodically to review the design and operation of such nuclear facilities to determine ways to enhance environmental and public protection. Requires the Board to report to the Congress and the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary) after each review and investigation with recommendations for improved safety measures. Requires the Board to maintain an onsite investigatory and review staff at each facility. Authorizes the Board to issue subpoenas and administrative orders compelling compliance with its standards and with Federal and State standards. Requires the Board to submit a written notice to the Secretary to abate any facility activity which presents imminent and substantial danger to the environment and public health. Outlines the Board's enforcement parameters. Sets forth civil penalties for non-compliance with the Board's administrative orders. Requires the Board to establish procedures for petitions by citizens for Board action with respect to matters within its purview. Authorizes the Board to enter into agreements with the States providing for discontinuance of the Board's regulatory authority during the period in which the State assumes such authority. Requires the Board to: (1) periodically review such agreements to ensure compliance with this Act; and (2) make grants to an agreement State to cover the costs of program implementation. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 through 1993. Terminates the Board and the requirements of this title six years after the date of enactment of this Act. Requires the Board to report to the Congress five years after the date of enactment of this Act regarding the efficacy of its oversight and regulatory activities. Title II: Licenses for Department of Energy Nuclear Facilities - Prohibits any Department of Energy facility from commencing operations as of the date of enactment of this Act unless it has received a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license issued pursuant to environmental and public health safety standards compatible with this Act. Title III: EPA Authority - Amends the Clean Water Act to include within the definition of "pollutant" any byproduct, source, and special nuclear material. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to exclude source, special nuclear, or byproduct materials from the definition of "solid waste" unless such materials are a part of any mixture or combination comprising a solid waste. Title IV: Radiation Research Reorganization Act of 1988 - Radiation Research Reorganization Act of 1988 - Transfers to the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority of the Secretary of Energy to conduct epidemiological studies of the effects of radiation. Mandates that such authority be exercised through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control with respect to health effects of radiation in places of employment. Establishes an advisory panel to be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to advise such Secretary in implementing the epidemiological studies.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on May 2, 1988. 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 June 6, 1988: Referred to Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment.
- 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 100th Congress (1987-88), 713 of the 9,582 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 7.4 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?
DAVID SKAGGS (D-CO) introduced it on May 2, 1988. 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 May 2, 1988, 14011 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 13976 days ago, on June 6, 1988.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 100th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1989 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