IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4675 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2018 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

AN ACT 

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide for 

a low-dose radiation basic research program. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Low-Dose Radiation 

3 Research Act of 2018’’. 

4 SEC. 2. LOW-DOSE RADIATION RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle G of title IX of the En6 ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16311 et seq.) is 

7 amended by inserting after section 977 the following new 

8 section: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 977A. LOW-DOSE RADIATION RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 

11 basic research program on low-dose radiation to— 

12 ‘‘(1) enhance the scientific understanding of, 

13 and reduce uncertainties associated with, the effects 

14 of exposure to low-dose radiation; and 

15 ‘‘(2) inform improved risk-assessment and risk16 management methods with respect to such radiation. 

17 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—In carrying out the 

18 program required under subsection (a), the Secretary 

19 shall— 

20 ‘‘(1) formulate scientific goals for low-dose radi21 ation basic research in the United States; 

22 ‘‘(2) identify ongoing scientific challenges for 

23 understanding the long-term effects of ionizing radi24 ation on biological systems; 

25 ‘‘(3) develop a long-term strategic and 

26 prioritized basic research agenda to address such 


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1 scientific challenges in coordination with other re2 search efforts; 

3 ‘‘(4) identify and, to the extent possible, quan4 tify, potential monetary and health-related benefits 

5 to Federal agencies, the general public, industry, re6 search communities, and other users of information 

7 produced by such research program; 

8 ‘‘(5) leverage the collective body of knowledge 

9 from existing low-dose radiation research; and 

10 ‘‘(6) engage with other Federal agencies, re11 search communities, and potential users of informa12 tion produced under this section, including institu13 tions concerning radiation research, medical physics, 

14 radiology, health physics, and emergency response. 

15 ‘‘(c) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the program, 

16 the Secretary, in coordination with the Physical Science 

17 Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology 

18 Council, shall— 

19 ‘‘(1) support the directives under section 106 of 

20 the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act 

21 (42 U.S.C. 6601 note); 

22 ‘‘(2) ensure that the Office of Science of the 

23 Department of Energy consults with the National 

24 Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National 

25 Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection 


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1 Agency, the Department of Defense, the Nuclear 

2 Regulatory Commission, and the Department of 

3 Homeland Security; 

4 ‘‘(3) advise and assist the National Science and 

5 Technology Council on policies and initiatives in ra6 diation biology, including enhancing scientific knowl7 edge of the effects of low-dose radiation on biological 

8 systems to improve radiation risk-assessment and 

9 risk-management methods; and 

10 ‘‘(4) identify opportunities to stimulate inter11 national cooperation relating to low-dose radiation 

12 and leverage research and knowledge from sources 

13 outside of the United States. 

14 ‘‘(d) RESEARCH PLAN.—Not later than 180 days 

15 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

16 transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech17 nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

18 on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a 4-year 

19 research plan that identifies and prioritizes basic research 

20 needs relating to low-dose radiation. In developing such 

21 plan, the Secretary shall incorporate the components de22 scribed in subsection (b). 

23 ‘‘(e) DEFINITION OF LOW-DOSE RADIATION.—In 

24 this section, the term ‘low-dose radiation’ means a radi25 ation dose of less than 100 millisieverts. 


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1 ‘‘(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec2 tion shall be construed to subject any research carried out 

3 by the Secretary for the program under this section to 

4 any limitations described in 977(e) of the Energy Policy 

5 Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16317(e)). 

6 ‘‘(g) FUNDING.—For purposes of carrying out this 

7 section, the Secretary is authorized to make available from 

8 funds provided to the Biological and Environmental Re9 search Program— 

10 ‘‘(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2018; 

11 ‘‘(2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2019; 

12 ‘‘(3) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; and 

13 ‘‘(4) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2021.’’. 

14 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con15 tents for subtitle G of title IX of the Energy Policy Act 

16 of 2005 is amended by inserting after the item relating 

17 to section 977 the following: 

‘‘977A. Low-dose radiation research program.’’. 

18 SEC. 3. SPENDING LIMITATION. 

19 No additional funds are authorized to be appro20 priated to carry out this Act and the amendments made 

21 by this Act, and this Act and such amendments shall be 


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1 carried out using amounts otherwise available for such 

2 purpose. 

Passed the House of Representatives February 13, 

2018. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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