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To extend the authorization of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, and for other purposes.

Public Law 104-259 · H.R. 2967 · 104th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 9, 1996 · Energy

Sponsor: Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO-6)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Amends the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 to extend the authority of the Secretary of Energy to perform remedial action two fiscal years through September 30, 1998. Authorizes the Secretary to continue to operate the Cheney disposal cell in Mesa County, Colorado, for the receipt and disposal of residual radioactive material from processing sites, and of byproduct material from property near a uranium milling site in Monticello, Utah, until the cell is filled to the capacity for which it was designed, or September 30, 2023, whichever comes first.

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to increase: (1) from $5.50 to $6.25 per short dry ton of byproduct material the statutory reimbursement amount, as well as aggregate amounts, paid by the Secretary for remediation costs of individual active site uranium licensees; and (2) the authorization of appropriations for such reimbursement.

Excludes certain sites in States that have been certified by the Secretary to have an acceptable notification program from Federal vicinity property deed annotation requirements regarding residual radioactive materials sites.

Permits the disposal of residual radioactive material from Title I sites (abandoned and inactive sites at which the wastes were generated primarily for Federal activities, for which the Federal share of costs is 90 percent) among Title II processing sites (whose cost is primarily borne by the private site owner, with a proportional Federal payment for remediation of wastes generated primarily for Federal activities).

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Oct 9, 1996Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-259.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 30, 1996PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 28, 1996FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Jun 27, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  6. Jun 19, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  7. May 15, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  8. May 14, 1996FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Schaefer moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  11. Apr 24, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
  12. Mar 13, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Energy and Commerce Committee
  13. Mar 5, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  15. Feb 28, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  16. Feb 26, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  17. Feb 23, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
  18. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.