H. R. 4138
One Hundred Fourth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six
An Act
To authorize the hydrogen research, development, and demonstration programs
of the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hydrogen Future Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of titles II and III—
(1) the term ‘‘Department’’ means the Department of
Energy; and
(2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of Energy.
TITLE I—HYDROGEN
SEC. 101. PURPOSES AND DEFINITIONS.
(a) Section 102(b)(1) of Public Law 101–566 (42 U.S.C.
12401(b)(1)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(1) to direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a research,
development, and demonstration program leading to the production,
storage, transport, and use of hydrogen for industrial, residential,
transportation, and utility applications;’’.
(b) Section 102(c) of Public Law 101–566 (42 U.S.C. 12401(c))
is amended—
(1) in subsection (1) by striking ‘‘; and’’ inserting ‘‘;’’;
(2) by redesignating subsection (2) as subsection (3); and
(3) by inserting before subsection (3) (as redesignated) the
following new subsection:
‘‘(2) ‘Department’ means the Department of Energy; and’’.
SEC. 102. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
(a) Section 103 of Public Law 101–566 (42 U.S.C. 12402) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 103. Report to Congress
‘‘(a) Not later than January 1, 1999, the Secretary shall
transmit to Congress a detailed report on the status and progress
of the programs authorized under this Act.
‘‘(b) A report under subsection (a) shall include, in addition
to any views and recommendations of the Secretary—
‘‘(1) an analysis of the effectiveness of the programs
authorized under this chapter, to be prepared and submitted
H. R. 4138—2
to the Secretary by the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel
established under section 108 of this Act; and
‘‘(2) recommendations of the Hydrogen Technical Advisory
Panel for any improvements in the program that are needed,
including recommendations for additional legislation.’’.
(b) Section 108(d) of Public Law 101–566 (42 U.S.C. 12407(d))
is amended—
(1) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (1);
(2) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end of paragraph (2) and
inserting a period; and
(3) by striking paragraph (3).
SEC. 103. HYDROGEN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Section 104 of Public Law 101–566 (42 U.S.C. 12403) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 104. Hydrogen research and development
‘‘(a) The Secretary shall conduct a hydrogen research and
development program relating to production, storage, transpor-
tation, and use of hydrogen, with the goal of enabling the private
sector to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using hydrogen
for industrial, residential, transportation, and utility applications.
‘‘(b) In conducting the program authorized by this section, the
Secretary shall—
‘‘(1) give particular attention to developing an understand-
ing and resolution of critical technical issues preventing the
introduction of hydrogen into the marketplace;
‘‘(2) initiate or accelerate existing research in critical
technical issues that will contribute to the development of
more economic hydrogen production and use, including, but
not limited to, critical technical issues with respect to produc-
tion (giving priority to those production techniques that use
renewable energy resources as their primary source of energy
for hydrogen production), liquefaction, transmission, distribu-
tion, storage, and use (including use of hydrogen in surface
transportation); and
‘‘(3) survey private sector hydrogen activities and take steps
to ensure that research and development activities under this
section do not displace or compete with the privately funded
hydrogen research and development activities of United States
industry.
‘‘(c) The Secretary is authorized to evaluate any reasonable
new or improved technology, including basic research on highly
innovative energy technologies, that could lead or contribute to
the development of economic hydrogen production, storage, and
utilization.
‘‘(d) The Secretary is authorized to evaluate any reasonable
new or improved technology that could lead or contribute to, or
demonstrate the use of, advanced renewable energy systems or
hybrid systems for use in isolated communities that currently
import diesel fuel as the primary fuel for electric power production.
‘‘(e) The Secretary is authorized to arrange for tests and
demonstrations and to disseminate to researchers and developers
information, data, and other materials necessary to support the
research and development activities authorized under this section
and other efforts authorized under this chapter, consistent with
section 106 of this Act.