[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3731 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3731
To assist communities affected by stranded nuclear waste, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 4, 2021
Mr. Schneider (for himself, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Huffman, Mr.
Kim of New Jersey, Mr. Kind, Ms. Pingree, and Mr. Welch) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial
Services, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To assist communities affected by stranded nuclear waste, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sensible, Timely Relief for
America's Nuclear Districts' Economic Development Act of 2021'' or the
``STRANDED Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) communities throughout the United States, including
communities in the States of California, Connecticut, Florida,
Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New
York, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin, are tasked with
dealing with stranded nuclear waste;
(2) communities affected by stranded nuclear waste are de
facto interim nuclear waste storage sites;
(3) the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101
et seq.)--
(A) directed the Secretary of Energy to make annual
impact assistance payments to States or appropriate
units of local government to mitigate the social and
economic impacts of the establishment and operation of
interim nuclear waste storage capacity within the
jurisdictional boundaries of an affected community; and
(B) established the rate for impact assistance
payments at $15 per kilogram of spent nuclear fuel;
(4) decommissioning a commercial nuclear power plant is
often catastrophic for the host community because nuclear power
plants are major employers and the primary source of local tax
revenue;
(5) stranded nuclear waste is a profound obstacle to future
economic growth, deterring potential employers and residents
from considering the host community;
(6) stranded nuclear waste prevents economic development in
communities in which the stranded nuclear waste is located;
(7) stranded nuclear waste prevents communities from
redeveloping sites where nuclear power plants previously
operated which further inhibits tax revenues; and
(8) it is critical to provide resources to communities
that--
(A) are challenged by stranded nuclear waste; or
(B) will be challenged by stranded nuclear waste
during the 10-year period beginning on the date of
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Academy.--The term ``Academy'' means the National
Academy of Sciences.
(2) Nuclear-affected community.--The term ``nuclear-
affected community'' means a unit of local government,
including a county, city, town, village, school district, or
special district, that the Administrator determines to contain
stranded nuclear waste within the jurisdictional boundary or
contain an eligible civilian nuclear power plant within the
jurisdictional boundary of such locality.
(3) Eligible civilian nuclear power plant.--The term
``eligible civilian nuclear power plant'' means a civilian
nuclear power plant (as defined in section 2 of the Nuclear
Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101)) that--
(A) has been decommissioned; or
(B) is in the process of being decommissioned.
(4) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
(5) Stranded nuclear waste.--The term ``stranded nuclear
waste'' means nuclear waste or spent nuclear fuel stored in dry
casks or spent fuel pools (as defined in section 2 of the
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101)) at the site
of an eligible civilian nuclear power plant.
SEC. 4. TAX INCENTIVES FOR AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.
(a) First-Time Homebuyer Credit.--
(1) In general.--Section 36 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 is amended--
(A) by inserting ``for nuclear affected
communities'' after ``credit'' in the heading;
(B) in subsection (a), by striking ``in the United
States'' and inserting ``in a nuclear affected
community (as such term is defined in section 3 of the
STRANDED Act of 2021)'';
(C) in subsection (b), by striking paragraphs (2)
and (3) and redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph
(2); and
(D) by striking subsections (f), (g), and (h).
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for subpart
C of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is
amended by striking the item relating to section 36 and
inserting the following new item:
``Sec. 36. First-time homebuyer credit for nuclear affected
communities.''.
(b) Effective Dates.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply to the purchase of a principal residence after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS PRIZE COMPETITION.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a competitive
prize competition (referred to in this section as the ``prize
competition'') to award prizes to proposals for affected communities to
carry out alternatives to nuclear facilities, generating sites, and
waste sites.
(b) Prize Board.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established an advisory board
(referred to in this section as the ``Board'') to advise the
Administrator on--
(A) the design and implementation of the prize
competition; and
(B) the development of the pilot project under
subsection (d).
(2) Composition.--The Board shall be composed of not fewer
than 9 members appointed by the Administrator--
(A) who shall provide expertise in--
(i) nuclear waste;
(ii) workforce issues;
(iii) technology development; and
(iv) economic development; and
(B) who may include representatives from--
(i) The National Laboratories;
(ii) nonprofit organizations; and
(iii) institutions of higher education.
(c) Award Amount.--An award under the prize competition shall be in
the amount of $500,000.
(d) Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator, in consultation with
the Board, shall develop a pilot project based on the proposal
of the winner of the prize competition.
(2) Funding.--Of the amounts made available under section
7, the Administrator may use $500,000 to carry out the pilot
project under paragraph (1).
(e) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date on which a prize
is awarded under the prize competition, the Administrator shall submit
to the relevant committees of Congress a report that describes the
winning proposal of the prize competition.
SEC. 6. ECONOMIC IMPACT GRANTS FOR AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish and carry out
a noncompetitive grant program to provide grants under either section
6(b) or section 6(c) to nuclear-affected communities for the purpose
of--
(1) offsetting the economic and social impacts of stranded
nuclear waste on affected communities; and
(2) supporting such communities that are in the process of
decommissioning an eligible civilian nuclear power plant and
that are facing decreased tax revenues or assessed valuation as
a result of such decommissioning.
(b) Awards Based on Stranded Nuclear Waste.--
(1) Eligibility.--A nuclear affected community shall be
eligible to receive a grant under this section for a fiscal
year.
(2) Awards.--
(A) Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under
subsection (a) shall be equal to $15 for each kilogram
of spent nuclear fuel stored at the eligible civilian
nuclear power plant in the nuclear affected community,
consistent with the price paid per kilogram for impact
assistance outlined in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of
1982.
(B) Number and frequency.--With respect to each
eligible civilian nuclear power plant, the
Administrator shall request submissions from affected
nuclear communities and may only award 1 grant under
subsection (a) to each eligible unit of local
government for each fiscal year.
(c) Awards Based on Lost Tax Revenue.--
(1) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive financial
assistance under this section, the affected community shall
submit to the Administrator an application that includes
documentation that the nuclear affected community has
experienced, or is predicted to experience, during a calendar
year beginning after December 31, 2014, and ending before
January 1, 2026--
(A) a reduction of not less than 20 percent in
overall tax revenue received by such affected community
for such year compared with the average of such tax
revenue for the previous 5 years; and
(B) a reduction in tax revenue attributable to a
nuclear power plant received by such affected community
for such year, compared with the average of such tax
revenue for the previous 5 years, that is not less than
20 percent of the average for such previous 5 years of
the overall tax revenue received by such unit.
For purposes of this paragraph, the term ``tax revenue''
includes any payment in lieu of taxes received by an affected
community.
(2) Assistance.--
(A) In general.--Subject to amounts made available
in advance in appropriations Acts, financial assistance
provided under this section to a nuclear affected
community shall be made with respect to each year of
the 8-year period beginning on the first day of the
calendar year described in paragraph (1).
(B) Amount of assistance.--Subject to amounts made
available in advance in appropriations Acts, financial
assistance provided under this section to a nuclear
affected community for a year of an 8-year period shall
be equal to the lesser of $10,000,000 and--
(i) in the case of the first year of the 8-
year period, 80 percent of the loss described
in paragraph (1)(B) with respect to such unit;
(ii) in the case of the second year of the
8-year period, 70 percent of such loss;
(iii) in the case of the third year of the
8-year period, 60 percent of such loss;
(iv) in the case of the fourth year of the
8-year period, 50 percent of such loss;
(v) in the case of the fifth year of the 8-
year period, 40 percent of such loss;
(vi) in the case of the sixth year of the
8-year period, 30 percent of such loss;
(vii) in the case of the seventh year of
the 8-year period, 20 percent of such loss; and
(viii) in the case of the eighth year of
the 8-year period, 10 percent of such loss.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this Act $110,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026
and $120,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
(b) No Offset.--None of the funds made available under this section
may be used to offset the funding for any other Federal program.
(c) Limitation.--No nuclear affected community may receive more
than one grant per calendar year, and cannot receive grants under both
sections 6(b) and (c) in the same calendar year.
<all>