A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide for thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation.

Summary: Thorium Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to direct the Secretary of Energy to establish, and provide funds to, an office for the regulation of thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation in each of: (1) the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (ONEST) of the Department of Energy; and (2) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Directs the NRC Chairman to promulgate regulations for facilities and materials used in thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation.

Requires the heads of the two Offices to: (1) implement demonstration projects for thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; and (2) recommend to the Secretary methods of strengthening international partnerships to advance nuclear nonproliferation through thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation, and of providing incentives to nuclear reactor operators to use proliferation-resistant, low-waste thorium fuels in lieu of other fuels.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Thorium Energy Independence and 
Security Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the United States and foreign countries will require 
        massive and increasing quantities of energy during the 20-year 
        period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act to 
        support economic growth;
            (2) nuclear power provides energy without generating 
        unacceptable quantities of greenhouse gasses;
            (3) the generation of nuclear power in the United States 
        and many foreign countries has been discouraged by concerns 
        regarding--
                    (A) the proliferation of weapons-useable material; 
                and
                    (B) the proper disposal of spent nuclear fuel;
            (4) nuclear power plants operating on an advanced thorium 
        fuel cycle to generate nuclear energy--
                    (A) could potentially produce fewer weapons-useable 
                materials than uranium-fueled plants; and
                    (B) would produce less long-term waste as compared 
                to other nuclear power plants;
            (5)(A) thorium is more abundant than uranium; and
            (B) the United States possesses significant domestic 
        quantities of thorium to ensure energy independence;
            (6)(A) thorium fuel cycle technology was originally 
        developed in the United States; and
            (B) cutting-edge research relating to thorium fuel cycle 
        technology continues to be carried out by entities in the 
        United States; and
            (7) it is in the national security and foreign policy 
        interest of the United States that foreign countries seeking to 
        establish or expand generation and use of nuclear power should 
        be provided--
                    (A) access to advanced thorium fuel cycle 
                technology; and
                    (B) incentives to reduce the risk of nuclear 
                proliferation.

SEC. 3. THORIUM FUEL CYCLE NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION.

    Chapter 19 of title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 
2015 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 244 the following:

``SEC. 251. THORIUM FUEL CYCLE NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Chairman.--The term `Chairman' means the Chairman of 
        the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
            ``(2) Office.--The term `Office' means an office 
        established under subsection (b)(1).
            ``(3) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
    ``(b) Offices for Regulation of Thorium Fuel Cycle Nuclear Power 
Generation.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
        the Chairman, shall establish, and provide funds to, an office 
        for the regulation of thorium fuel cycle nuclear power 
        generation in each of--
                    ``(A) the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and 
                Technology of the Department of Energy; and
                    ``(B) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
            ``(2) Regulations.--Not later than December 31, 2012, the 
        Chairman, in cooperation with the heads of the Offices, shall 
        promulgate regulations for facilities and materials used in 
        thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation.
            ``(3) Demonstration projects.--The heads of the Offices, in 
        cooperation with the head of the Idaho National Engineering 
        Laboratory, shall carry out demonstration projects for thorium 
        fuel cycle nuclear power generation at the Idaho National 
        Engineering Laboratory.
            ``(4) International partnerships and incentives.--The heads 
        of the Offices shall provide recommendations to the Secretary 
        with respect to methods of--
                    ``(A) strengthening international partnerships to 
                advance nuclear nonproliferation through the design and 
                deployment of thorium fuel cycle nuclear power 
                generation; and
                    ``(B) providing incentives to nuclear reactor 
                operators in the United States and foreign countries to 
                use proliferation-resistant, low-waste thorium fuels in 
                lieu of other fuels.
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
the Thorium Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing, 
with respect to the preceding calendar year--
            ``(1) progress made in implementing this section; and
            ``(2) activities carried out by the Offices pursuant to 
        this section.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $250,000,000 
for the period of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.''.