Nuclear Safety Board Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Nuclear Safety Board Act of 1979 - Establishes the Nuclear Safety Board as an independent executive agency. Provides for presidential appointment of three members of such board, and sets forth provisions relating to terms, compensation, and appointment of officers and support staff. Sets forth the duties of such Board, including: (1) investigation of potentially hazardous events occurring at facilities regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; (2) analysis of operational data reported to it by such facilities to determine the existence of patterns of events indicating safety problems; (3) conducting nuclear facility safety studies; (4) evaluation of suggestions received from the scientific and industrial community and others on improving nuclear facility safety; (5) recommendation to the Commission of specific measures to minimize the likelihood of events which could affect public health or safety; (6) assessment of the effectiveness of the Commission in monitoring facility operations and in providing safety procedures concerning construction and operation of such facilities; (7) monitoring the Commission's resolution of safety issues; (8) establishment of reporting requirements regarding facility design, construction, and operation, which shall be binding on the Commission, Federal, State, and local nuclear safety agencies, and private parties involved with facility construction or operation; and (9) issuance of periodic reports on nuclear facility safety. Grants the Board specified powers relating to issuance of subpenas, inspection authority, enforcement authority, immunity, obtaining official data, delegation, contracting authority, and appointment of advisory committees. Authorizes the Board to make any information not relating to trade secrets available to the public upon request, with exceptions. Requires the Commission to provide written response to the Board to each recommendation submitted by the Board regarding nuclear safety. Establishes civil penalties for violation of reporting requirements regarding facility design, construction, or operation. Authorizes judicial review of any order issued by the Board under this Act. Requires the Board to submit an annual report to the Congress on the activities conducted by the Board. Terminates the existence of the Board six years after the date of enactment of this 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 November 1, 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 November 1, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- 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?
MICKEY EDWARDS (R-OK) introduced it on November 1, 1979, and 22 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 13 Democrats, 9 Republicans.
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 November 1, 1979, 17115 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17115 days ago, on November 1, 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