Joe Barton: “I am pleased to bring to the floor the Price-Anderson Reauthorization Act of 2001, H.R. 2983. After several months of…”

“I am pleased to bring to the floor the Price-Anderson Reauthorization Act of 2001, H.R. 2983. After several months of hard work, the Committee on Energy and Commerce has produced a bipartisan bill that ensures swift compensation to the public in the unlikely event of a nuclear accident and encourages the future development of nuclear power. Nuclear power currently provides over 20 percent of the Nation's electricity. This bill paves the way for the development of a new generation of smaller, safer and more affordable nuclear power reactors. The bill also extends indemnification to the Department of Energy contractors engaged in important nuclear work at several sites across the country, including nuclear weapons research and nuclear waste cleanup. Without reauthorization of the Price-Anderson Act, we could risk losing some of the best contractors that the Department of Energy relies upon. In addition to reauthorizing these important programs, H.R. 2983 also dramatically improves security at our Nation's nuclear power plants in response to the widespread concerns over terrorist threats.”