Furthering International Nuclear Safety Act of 2011 - Directs the President to instruct the U.S. delegate to the Convention on Nuclear Safety to encourage: (1) parties to more systematically assess their progress in improving safety, (2) parties to increase the number of national reports and related answers to questions available to the public by posting them to a publicly available website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), (3) the IAEA to assist the preparation of national reports and provide technical support to improve civilian nuclear program safety, and (4) countries that currently have or are considering the establishment of a civilian nuclear power program to formally join the Convention.
Directs the Secretary of State to submit to Congress the U.S. government's strategic plan and goals for international nuclear safety cooperation for operating power reactors.
Sets forth reporting requirements regarding: (1) implementation of such strategic plan, and (2) U.S. efforts to further international nuclear safety.
Defines "party'' as a nation that has formally joined the Convention.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 640 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 640
To underscore the importance of international nuclear safety
cooperation for operating power reactors, encouraging the efforts of
the Convention on Nuclear Safety, supporting progress in improving
nuclear safety, and enhancing the public availability of nuclear safety
information.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 17, 2011
Mr. Akaka (for himself and Mr. Carper) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To underscore the importance of international nuclear safety
cooperation for operating power reactors, encouraging the efforts of
the Convention on Nuclear Safety, supporting progress in improving
nuclear safety, and enhancing the public availability of nuclear safety
information.
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 ``Furthering International Nuclear
Safety Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To recognize the paramount importance of international
nuclear safety cooperation for operating power reactors.
(2) To further the efforts of the Convention on Nuclear
Safety as a vital international forum on nuclear safety.
(3) To support progress in improving nuclear safety for
countries that currently have or are considering the
development of a civilian nuclear power program.
(4) To enhance the public availability of nuclear safety
information.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(B) the Committee on Environment and Public Works
of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform of the House of Representatives.
(2) Convention.--The term ``Convention'' means the
Convention on Nuclear Safety, done at Vienna September 20,
1994, and ratified by the United States April 11, 1999.
(3) Meeting.--The term ``meeting'' means a meeting as
described under Article 20, 21, or 23 of the Convention.
(4) National report.--The term ``national report'' means a
report as described under Article 5 of the Convention.
(5) Party.--The term ``party'' means a nation that has
formally joined the Convention through ratification or other
means.
(6) Summary report.--The term ``summary report'' means a
report as described under Article 25 of the Convention.
SEC. 4. UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO FURTHER INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR SAFETY.
The President shall instruct the United States official serving as
the delegate to the meetings of the Convention on Nuclear Safety
pursuant to Article 24 of the Convention to use the voice, vote, and
influence of the United States, while recognizing that these efforts by
parties are voluntary, to encourage, where appropriate--
(1) parties to more systematically assess where and how
they have made progress in improving safety, including where
applicable through the incorporation of performance metric
tools;
(2) parties to increase the number of national reports they
make available to the public by posting them to a publicly
available Internet Web site of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA);
(3) parties to expand public dissemination of written
answers to questions raised by other parties about national
reports by posting the information to a publicly available
Internet Web site of the IAEA;
(4) the IAEA to further its support of the Convention, upon
request by a party and where funding is available, by--
(A) providing assistance to parties preparing
national reports;
(B) providing additional assistance to help prepare
for and support meetings, including language
translation services; and
(C) providing additional technical support to
improve the safety of civilian nuclear power programs;
and
(5) all countries that currently have or are considering
the establishment of a civilian nuclear power program to
formally join the Convention.
SEC. 5. STRATEGIC PLAN.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of State, in cooperation with the heads of other
relevant United States Government agencies, shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees the United States Government's
strategic plan and prioritized goals for international nuclear safety
cooperation for operating power reactors.
SEC. 6. REPORTS.
(a) Report on Implementation of Strategic Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the issuance
of each of the first two summary reports of the Convention
issued after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of State, in cooperation with the heads of other
relevant United States Government agencies, shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report that--
(A) describes the status of implementing the
strategic plan and achieving the goals set forth in
section 5; and
(B) enumerates the most significant concerns of the
United States Government regarding worldwide nuclear
safety and describes the extent to which the strategic
plan addresses these concerns.
(2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified
annex.
(b) Report on United States Efforts To Further International
Nuclear Safety.--Not later than 180 days after the issuance of each of
the first two summary reports of the Convention issued after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the United States official serving as the
delegate to the meetings of the Convention shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report providing the status of
achieving the actions set forth in section 4.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1846-1847)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1847-1848)
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