42 U.S.C. § 2073 — Domestic distribution of special nuclear material
submitted 80 years ago by ch. 724 to r/title-42-THE-PUBLIC-HEALTH-AND-WELFARE · 1,248 words · no verdicts yet
This section authorizes the Commission to license, distribute, sell, lease, or grant special nuclear material for specified uses. It sets licensing criteria, charges, license conditions, and preferences for independent research and development.
(a) Licenses. The Commission* may (i) license the transfer, receipt, delivery, acquisition, possession, ownership, import, or export of special nuclear material, including interstate transfers and exports under a cooperation agreement made under section 2153; (ii) make the material available for the license period; and (iii) distribute it in the United States to qualified applicants requesting it: (1) for research and development activities of the types in section 2051; (2) for research and development or medical therapy under a section 2134 license; (3) for use under a section 2133 license; or (4) for other uses the Commission finds appropriate to carry out this chapter.
(b) Minimum criteria for licenses. By rule, the Commission must set minimum criteria for specific or general distribution licenses based on how important the following are to common defense and security* or public health and safety: (1) the material’s physical characteristics; (2) the amount distributed; and (3) the intended use.
(c) Manner of distribution; charges for material sold; agreements; charges for material leased. (1) The Commission may distribute licensed material by sale, lease, lease with an option to buy, or grant. Unless another law authorizes it, after December 31, 1970, it may distribute material only by sale to a person who possesses or operates a utilization facility under a section 2133 or 2134(b) license when the material will be used in licensed activities. After June 30, 1973, it may not allow such a person to continue leasing material previously leased by the Commission for those activities. (2) The Commission must set reasonable sale prices on a nondiscriminatory basis that, in its opinion, reasonably compensate the Government. (3) The Commission may make agreements with licensees for periods it considers necessary or desirable and provide quantities needed for licensed activities. An agreement may allow the Commission to repurchase sold material not consumed in the licensed activity, or uranium remaining after irradiation, at a price no higher than the Commission’s current sale price for comparable material or uranium when delivered to the Commission. (4) The Commission may charge a reasonable amount, determined under this section, for material leased under subsection (a)(1), (2), or (4), and must charge a reasonable amount so determined for material leased under subsection (a)(3). It must put in writing criteria for deciding whether to distribute material by grant and whether to charge for leased material under (a)(1), (2), or (4). The criteria must consider, among other things, whether the licensee is nonprofit or eleemosynary and the material’s intended purposes.
(d) Determination of charges. When setting a reasonable charge for material leased to utilization or production facility licensees under section 2133 or 2134, the Commission must consider the material’s cost and: (1) its intended use; (2) how much the use will advance peaceful atomic-energy uses; (3) its energy value in the licensed use; (4) whether it will be used in a facility licensed under section 2133 or 2134. As far as practicable, charges for material distributed to section 2133 facilities must be uniform and nondiscriminatory. (5) For material consumed in a section 2133 facility, the Commission must add a charge equal to its sale price for similar material under subsection (c)(2). It may add the same type of charge for material consumed in a section 2134 facility.
(e) License conditions. Every license under this section must include and be subject to these conditions: (1) Repealed by the law and date identified in the supplied text: Public Law 88–489, section 8, August 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 604. (2) The license gives no right to the material except as the license defines. (3) The license and rights under it may not be assigned or transferred in violation of this chapter. (4) The material remains subject to the recapture or control right reserved by section 2138 and all other provisions of this chapter. (5) It may be used in a utilization or production facility only as this chapter allows. (6) It may be distributed only on terms set by Commission rule that prevent a user from constructing an atomic weapon*. (7) It may be distributed only under Commission safety standards that protect health and minimize danger to life or property. (8) Unless section 2210’s indemnification and liability limits apply, the licensee must protect the United States and the Commission from damages resulting from the licensee’s use or possession of the material.
(f) Distribution for independent research and development activities. The Commission must distribute enough material within the United States, as far as practicable, to allow widespread independent research and development. If applications exceed the available amount, preference goes to activities the Commission believes are most likely to contribute to basic research, peaceful atomic-energy uses, or the Nation’s economic and military strength.
The Commission* is authorized (i) to issue licenses to transfer or receive in interstate commerce, transfer, deliver, acquire, possess, own, receive possession of or title to, import, or export under the terms of an agreement for cooperation* arranged pursuant to section 2153 of this title, special nuclear material, (ii) to make special nuclear material available for the period of the license, and, (iii) to distribute special nuclear material within the United States to qualified applicants requesting such material—
for the conduct of research and development activities of the types specified in section 2051 of this title;
for use in the conduct of research and development activities or in medical therapy under a license issued pursuant to section 2134 of this title;
for use under a license issued pursuant to section 2133 of this title;
for such other uses as the Commission determines to be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
The Commission shall establish, by rule, minimum criteria for the issuance of specific or general licenses for the distribution of special nuclear material depending upon the degree of importance to the common defense and security* or to the health and safety of the public of—
the physical characteristics of the special nuclear material to be distributed;
the quantities of special nuclear material to be distributed; and
the intended use of the special nuclear material to be distributed.
The Commission may distribute special nuclear material licensed under this section by sale, lease, lease with option to buy, or grant: Provided, however, That unless otherwise authorized by law, the Commission shall not after December 31, 1970, distribute special nuclear material except by sale to any person who possesses or operates a utilization facility under a license issued pursuant to section 2133 or 2134(b) of this title for use in the course of activities under such license; nor shall the Commission permit any such person after June 30, 1973, to continue leasing for use in the course of such activities special nuclear material previously leased to such person by the Commission.
The Commission shall establish reasonable sales prices for the special nuclear material licensed and distributed by sale under this section. Such sales prices shall be established on a nondiscriminatory basis which, in the opinion of the Commission, will provide reasonable compensation to the Government for such special nuclear material.
The Commission is authorized to enter into agreements with licensees for such period of time as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable to distribute to such licensees such quantities of special nuclear material as may be necessary for the conduct of the licensed activity. In such agreements, the Commission may agree to repurchase any special nuclear material licensed and distributed by sale which is not consumed in the course of the licensed activity, or any uranium remaining after irradiation of such special nuclear material, at a repurchase price not to exceed the Commission’s sale price for comparable special nuclear material or uranium in effect at the time of delivery of such material to the Commission.
The Commission may make a reasonable charge, determined pursuant to this section, for the use of special nuclear material licensed and distributed by lease under subsection (a)(1), (2) or (4) and shall make a reasonable charge determined pursuant to this section for the use of special nuclear material licensed and distributed by lease under subsection (a)(3). The Commission shall establish criteria in writing for the determination of whether special nuclear material will be distributed by grant and for the determination of whether a charge will be made for the use of special nuclear material licensed and distributed by lease under subsection (a)(1), (2) or (4), considering, among other things, whether the licensee is a nonprofit or eleemosynary institution and the purposes for which the special nuclear material will be used.
In determining the reasonable charge to be made by the Commission for the use of special nuclear material distributed by lease to licensees of utilization or production facilities licensed pursuant to section 2133 or 2134 of this title, in addition to consideration of the cost thereof, the Commission shall take into consideration—
the use to be made of the special nuclear material;
the extent to which the use of the special nuclear material will advance the development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy*;
the energy value of the special nuclear material in the particular use for which the license is issued;
whether the special nuclear material is to be used in facilities licensed pursuant to section 2133 or 2134 of this title. In this respect, the Commission shall, insofar as practicable, make uniform, nondiscriminatory charges for the use of special nuclear material distributed to facilities licensed pursuant to section 2133 of this title; and
with respect to special nuclear material consumed in a facility licensed pursuant to section 2133 of this title, the Commission shall make a further charge equivalent to the sale price for similar special nuclear material established by the Commission in accordance with subsection (c)(2), and the Commission may make such a charge with respect to such material consumed in a facility licensed pursuant to section 2134 of this title.
Each license issued pursuant to this section shall contain and be subject to the following conditions—
Repealed. Pub. L. 88–489, § 8, Aug. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 604.
no right to the special nuclear material shall be conferred by the license except as defined by the license;
neither the license nor any right under the license shall be assigned or otherwise transferred in violation of the provisions of this chapter;
all special nuclear material shall be subject to the right of recapture or control reserved by section 2138 of this title and to all other provisions of this chapter;
no special nuclear material may be used in any utilization or production facility except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter;
special nuclear material shall be distributed only on terms, as may be established by rule of the Commission, such that no user will be permitted to construct an atomic weapon*;
special nuclear material shall be distributed only pursuant to such safety standards as may be established by rule of the Commission to protect health and to minimize danger to life or property; and
except to the extent that the indemnification and limitation of liability provisions of section 2210 of this title apply, the licensee will hold the United States and the Commission harmless from any damages resulting from the use or possession of special nuclear material by the licensee.
The Commission is directed to distribute within the United States sufficient special nuclear material to permit the conduct of widespread independent research and development activities to the maximum extent practicable. In the event that applications for special nuclear material exceed the amount available for distribution, preference shall be given to those activities which are most likely, in the opinion of the Commission, to contribute to basic research, to the development of peacetime uses of atomic energy, or to the economic and military strength of the Nation.
Source credit: (Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, § 53, as added Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 930; amended Pub. L. 85–256, § 2, Sept. 2, 1957, 71 Stat. 576; Pub. L. 85–681, §§ 1, 2, Aug. 19, 1958, 72 Stat. 632; Pub. L. 88–489, §§ 5–8, Aug. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 603, 604; Pub. L. 90–190, §§ 9, 10, Dec. 14, 1967, 81 Stat. 577; renumbered title I and amended Pub. L. 102–486, title IX, § 902(a)(3), (8), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2944.)
- 1946Enacted · Act of Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724 · 68 Stat. 930
- 1957Amended · Pub. L. 85-256 · 71 Stat. 576
- 1958Amended · Pub. L. 85-681 · 72 Stat. 632
- 1964Amended · Pub. L. 88-489 · 78 Stat. 603, 604
- 1967Amended · Pub. L. 90-190 · 81 Stat. 577
- 1992Amended · Pub. L. 102-486 · 106 Stat. 2944
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 724 on 1946-08-01.
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