Russian Suspension Agreement Extension Act of 2020
This bill extends limits on the importation of Russian low-enriched uranium, a fuel for nuclear reactors, and contains other related provisions. (These limits stem from a 1992 agreement with Russia to end a Department of Commerce antidumping investigation into Russian uranium imports.)
The bill extends these limits, which are currently set to expire in 2020, to 2040. The bill also specifies the maximum amounts of qualifying uranium that may be imported each year for 2021-2040. The Department of Commerce shall (1) administer these import limitations, and (2) periodically review U.S. demand for uranium for nuclear reactors and adjust the limits accordingly.
Currently, qualifying uranium imported for the Department of Energy inventory do not count against these limits. The bill eliminates this exception but maintains two other exceptions for uranium imported for use in the initial core of a new reactor or for reprocessing and reexportation.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4694 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4694
To extend and expand limitations on the importation of uranium from the
Russian Federation, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 24, 2020
Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Risch, Mr.
Graham, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Manchin) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To extend and expand limitations on the importation of uranium from the
Russian Federation, 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 ``Russian Suspension Agreement
Extension Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION AND EXPANSION OF LIMITATIONS ON IMPORTATION OF
URANIUM FROM RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
(a) In General.--Section 3112A of the USEC Privatization Act (42
U.S.C. 2297h-10a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph
(8); and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) Suspension agreement.--The term `Suspension
Agreement' has the meaning given that term in section
3102(13).'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``United States to support'' and
inserting the following: ``United States--
``(1) to support'';
(B) by striking the period at the end and inserting
a semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) to reduce reliance on uranium imports in order to
protect essential national security interests;
``(3) to revive and strengthen the supply chain for nuclear
fuel produced and used in the United States; and
``(4) to expand production of nuclear fuel in the United
States.''; and
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (vi), by striking ``;
and'' and inserting a semicolon;
(II) in clause (vii), by striking
the period at the end and inserting a
semicolon; and
(III) by adding at the end the
following:
``(viii) in calendar year 2021, 596,682
kilograms;
``(ix) in calendar year 2022, 489,617
kilograms;
``(x) in calendar year 2023, 578,877
kilograms;
``(xi) in calendar year 2024, 476,536
kilograms;
``(xii) in calendar year 2025, 470,376
kilograms;
``(xiii) in calendar year 2026, 464,183
kilograms;
``(xiv) in calendar year 2027, 459,083
kilograms;
``(xv) in calendar year 2028, 344,312
kilograms;
``(xvi) in calendar year 2029, 340,114
kilograms;
``(xvii) in calendar year 2030, 332,141
kilograms;
``(xviii) in calendar year 2031, 328,862
kilograms;
``(xix) in calendar year 2032, 322,255
kilograms;
``(xx) in calendar year 2033, 317,536
kilograms;
``(xxi) in calendar year 2034, 298,088
kilograms;
``(xxii) in calendar year 2035, 294,511
kilograms;
``(xxiii) in calendar year 2036, 286,066
kilograms;
``(xxiv) in calendar year 2037, 281,272
kilograms;
``(xxv) in calendar year 2038, 277,124
kilograms;
``(xxvi) in calendar year 2039, 277,124
kilograms; and
``(xxvii) in calendar year 2040, 267,685
kilograms.'';
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
subparagraph (C); and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A)
the following:
``(B) Administration.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary of
Commerce shall administer the import
limitations described in subparagraph (A) in
accordance with the provisions of the
Suspension Agreement, including--
``(I) the limitations on sales of
enriched uranium product and separative
work units plus conversion, in amounts
determined in accordance with Section
IV.B.1 of the Suspension Agreement (as
amended by the draft amendment
published in the Federal Register on
September 16, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg.
57826)), and Appendix 5 of the
Suspension Agreement;
``(II) the requirements for natural
uranium returned feed associated with
imports of low-enriched uranium,
including pursuant to sales of
enrichment, with or without conversion,
from the Russian Federation, as set
forth in such Section IV.B.1; and
``(III) any other provisions of the
Suspension Agreement.
``(ii) Effect of termination of suspension
agreement.--Clause (i) shall remain in effect
if the Suspension Agreement is terminated.'';
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking the
semicolon and inserting ``; or'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``;
or'' and inserting a period; and
(iii) by striking subparagraph (C);
(C) in paragraph (5)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``reference data'' and all that follows through
``2019'' and inserting the following: ``lower
scenario data in the report of the World
Nuclear Association entitled `The Nuclear Fuel
Report: Global Scenarios for Demand and Supply
Availability 2019-2040'. In each of calendar
years 2023, 2029, and 2035''; and
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and
(C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively;
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A)
the following:
``(B) Report required.--Not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of the Russian
Suspension Agreement Extension Act of 2020, and every 3
years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report that includes--
``(i) a recommendation on the use of all
publicly available data to ensure accurate
forecasting by scenario data to comport to
actual demand for low-enriched uranium for
nuclear reactors in the United States; and
``(ii) an identification of the steps to be
taken to adjust the import limitations
described in paragraph (2)(A) based on the most
accurate scenario data.''; and
(iv) in subparagraph (D), as redesignated
by clause (ii), by striking ``subparagraph
(B)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (C)'';
(D) in paragraph (9), by striking ``2020'' and
inserting ``2040'';
(E) in paragraph (12)(B), by inserting ``or the
Suspension Agreement'' after ``the Russian HEU
Agreement''; and
(F) by striking ``(2)(B)'' each place it appears
and inserting ``(2)(C)''.
(b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) apply
with respect to uranium imported from the Russian Federation on or
after January 1, 2021.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
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