I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1700 

To require the President to issue guidance on Federal response to a largescale nuclear disaster. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 24, 2013 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mr. PAYNE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To require the President to issue guidance on Federal 

response to a large-scale nuclear disaster. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nuclear Disaster Pre5 paredness Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GUIDANCE FOR RESPONSE TO A NUCLEAR DIS7 ASTER. 

8 (a) ISSUANCE.—Not later than 180 days after the 

9 date of enactment of this Act, the President, in consulta10 tion with the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of DeVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:51 Apr 30, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1700.IH H1700

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1 fense, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

2 Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Sec3 retary of Homeland Security, and the Administrator of the 

4 Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall issue guid5 ance on Federal response to nuclear disasters described 

6 in subsection (b). 

7 (b) NUCLEAR DISASTERS DESCRIBED.—The guid8 ance issued pursuant to subsection (a) shall be with re9 spect to any nuclear disaster that— 

10 (1) may be caused by a natural catastrophe, an 

11 accident, or a terrorist or other attack; 

12 (2) occurs initially at a nuclear power plant; 

13 and 

14 (3) disperses radiation off the reactor site and 

15 into the surrounding area. 

16 (c) GUIDANCE.—The guidance issued pursuant to 

17 subsection (a) shall— 

18 (1) designate the single Federal agency that is 

19 responsible for coordinating the Federal Govern20 ment’s efforts in response to a nuclear disaster (in 

21 this Act referred to as the ‘‘Coordinating Agency’’), 

22 including making a formal declaration that a nuclear 

23 disaster exists; 


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1 (2) identify the circumstances under which a 

2 formal declaration described in paragraph (1) will 

3 occur; 

4 (3) designate the single Federal agency that, in 

5 response to a nuclear disaster, is responsible for rec6 ommending to the Coordinating Agency— 

7 (A) the evacuation of the area within a 10- 

8 mile radius from the nuclear power plant; or 

9 (B) the evacuation of the area within a 

10 larger radius from the nuclear power plant, but 

11 not more than a radius of 50 miles; 

12 (4) identify the circumstances under which a 

13 recommendation described in paragraph (3) will be 

14 made; 

15 (5) designate the single Federal agency that is 

16 responsible for developing plans for an evacuation 

17 described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph 

18 (3), educating the public regarding such an evacu19 ation, and conducting such an evacuation when di20 rected to do so by the Coordinating Agency; 

21 (6) designate the single Federal agency that is 

22 responsible for recommending to the Coordinating 

23 Agency that evacuees may return following a nuclear 

24 disaster; 


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1 (7) identify the circumstances under which a 

2 recommendation described in paragraph (6) will be 

3 made; 

4 (8) identify what cleanup standards will apply 

5 for a nuclear disaster; 

6 (9) designate the single Federal agency that is 

7 responsible for conducting cleanup of a nuclear dis8 aster when directed to do so by the Coordinating 

9 Agency; and 

10 (10) identify any other roles and responsibilities 

11 of any Federal agency involved in the response effort 

12 to a nuclear disaster. 

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