Detailed Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Problem:SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Department of Energy University
Nuclear Science, Engineering, and Health Physics Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:
(1) United States university nuclear science, engineering,
and health programs are in a state of serious decline. The
supply of bachelor degree nuclear science, engineering, and
health physics personnel in the United States is lower than the
number of jobs available, resulting in a shortage of these
critical professionals. The number of 4-year degree nuclear
engineering programs has declined 50 percent to approximately
25 programs nationwide. Over /3\ of the faculty in these
programs are 45 years or older and there are few tenure track
junior faculty positions available.
(2) Universities are finding it increasingly difficult to
fund the operational costs of their research and training
reactors. Since 1980, the number of small training reactors in
the United States has declined by over 50 percent to 27
reactors. Most of these reactors were built in the late 1950's
and 1960's with 30- to 40-year operating licenses, and will
require relicensing in the next several years.
(3) The neglect in human investment and training
infrastructure is affecting 50 years of national research and
development investment. The decline in a competent nuclear
workforce, and the lack of adequately trained nuclear
scientists, engineers, and health physicists, will affect the
ability of the United States to solve future waste storage
issues, operate existing and design future fission reactors in
the United States, respond to future nuclear events worldwide,
help stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and design and
operate naval nuclear reactors.
(4) Future neglect in the Nation's investment in human
resources for the nuclear sciences will lead to a downward
spiral. As the number of nuclear science departments shrinks,
faculties age, and training reactors close, the appeal of
nuclear science will be lost to future generations of students.
(5) Current projections are that 50 percent of industry's
nuclear workforce can retire in 10 to 15 years, and 76 percent
of the nuclear workforce at our national labs can retire in the
next 5 years. A new supply of trained scientists and engineers
to replace this retiring workforce is urgently needed.
(6) The Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy,
Science, and Technology is well suited to help maintain
tomorrow's human resource and training investment in the
nuclear sciences. Through its support of research and
development pursuant to the Department's statutory authorities,
the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology is the
principal Federal agent for civilian research in the nuclear
sciences for the United States. The Office maintains the
Nuclear Engineering and Education Research Program which funds
basic nuclear science and engineering. The Office funds the
Nuclear Energy and Research Initiative which funds applied
collaborative research among universities, industry, and
national laboratories in the areas of proliferation-resistant
fuel cycles and future fission power systems. The Office funds
universities to refuel training reactors from highly enriched
to low-enriched proliferation-tolerant fuels, performs
instrumentation upgrades, and maintains a program of student
fellowships for nuclear science, engineering, and health
physics.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROGRAM.

(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Energy, through the Office of
Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology, shall support a program to
invest in human resources and infrastructure in the nuclear sciences,
engineering, and health physics fields, consistent with the
Department's statutory authorities related to civilian nuclear research
and development.
(b) Duties.--In carrying out the program under this Act, the
Secretary shall--
(1) establish a graduate and undergraduate fellowship
program to attract new and talented students;
(2) establish a Junior Faculty Research Initiation Grant
Program to assist institutions of higher education in
recruiting and retaining new faculty in the nuclear sciences,
engineering, and health physics;
(3) support fundamental nuclear sciences, engineering, and
health physics research through the Nuclear Engineering
Education Research Program;
(4) encourage collaborative nuclear research and training
among industry, National Laboratories, and institutions of
higher education; and
(5) support communication and outreach related to nuclear
science, engineering, and health physics.
(c) Strengthening University Research and Training Reactors and
Associated Infrastructure.--Activities under this section may include--
(1) converting research reactors currently using high-
enrichment fuels to low-enrichment fuels, upgrading operational
instrumentation, and sharing of reactors among institutions of
higher education;
(2) providing technical assistance, in collaboration with
the United States nuclear industry, in relicensing and
upgrading training reactors as part of a student training
program; and
(3) providing funding, through the Innovations in Nuclear
Infrastructure and Education Program, for reactor improvements
as part of a focused effort that emphasizes research, training,
and education.
(d) University-DOE Laboratory Interactions.--The Secretary of
Energy, through the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology,
shall develop--
(1) a sabbatical fellowship program for professors at
institutions of higher education to spend extended periods of
time at Department of Energy laboratories in the areas of
nuclear science and technology; and
(2) a visiting scientist program in which National
Laboratory staff can spend time in academic nuclear science,
engineering, and health physics departments.
The Secretary may under subsection (b)(1) provide fellowships for
students to spend time at National Laboratories in the areas of nuclear
science, engineering, and health physics with a member of the
Laboratory staff acting as a mentor.
(e) Operations and Maintenance.--Funding for a research project
provided under this section may be used to offset a portion of the
operating and maintenance costs of a research reactor at an institution
of higher education used in the research project.
(f) Merit Review Required.--All grants, contracts, cooperative
agreements, or other financial assistance awards under this Act shall
be made only after independent merit review.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) Total Authorization.--The following sums are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy, to remain available until
expended, for the purposes of carrying out this Act:
(1) $35,200,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) $44,350,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(3) $49,200,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(4) $54,950,000 for fiscal year 2008.
(b) Graduate and Undergraduate Fellowships.--Of the funds
authorized under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to
be appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(1):
(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) $3,100,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(3) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(4) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2008.
(c) Junior Faculty Research Initiation Grant Program.--Of the funds
authorized under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to
be appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(2):
(1) $2,275,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) $3,675,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(3) $4,150,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(4) $5,150,000 for fiscal year 2008.
(d) Nuclear Engineering Education Research and Nuclear Health
Physics.--Of the funds authorized under subsection (a), the following
sums are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(3):
(1) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, of which $3,000,000
shall be for the nuclear health physics.
(2) $15,600,000 for fiscal year 2006, of which $3,600,000
shall be for the nuclear health physics.
(3) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2007, of which $4,000,000
shall be for the nuclear health physics.
(4) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which $4,500,000
shall be for the nuclear health physics.
(e) Communication and Outreach Related to Nuclear Science,
Engineering, and Health Physics.--Of the funds authorized under
subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out section 3(b)(5):
(1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) $550,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(3) $600,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(4) $650,000 for fiscal year 2008.
(f) Refueling of Research Reactors and Instrumentation Upgrades.--
Of the funds authorized under subsection (a), the following sums are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 3(c)(1):
(1) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) $6,500,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(3) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(4) $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2008.
(g) Relicensing Assistance.--Of the funds authorized under
subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out section 3(c)(2):
(1) $700,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) $1,100,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(3) $1,200,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(4) $1,300,000 for fiscal year 2008.
(h) Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure and Education Program.--
Of the funds authorized under subsection (a), the following sums are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 3(c)(3):
(1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(3) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(4) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
(i) University-DOE Laboratory Interactions.--Of the funds
authorized under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to
be appropriated to carry out section 3(d):
(1) $1,725,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) $1,825,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(3) $2,050,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(4) $3,150,000 for fiscal year 2008.
Solution:
Department of Energy University Nuclear Science, Engineering, and Health Physics Act - Instructs the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, to support a program to invest in human resources and infrastructure in the nuclear sciences, engineering, and health physics fields. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promote interactions between university and Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories; and (2) provide student fellowships at DOE nuclear science laboratories. Authorizes appropriations through FY 2008 that target: (1) graduate and undergraduate fellowships; (2) junior faculty research initiation grant programs; (3) nuclear engineering and education research programs; (4) communication and outreach related to nuclear science, engineering, and health physics; (5) refueling research reactors and instrumentation upgrades; (6) relicensing assistance; (7) reactor improvements through the innovations in the Nuclear Infrastructure and Education Program; and (8) university-DOE laboratory interactions.