[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3828 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3828
To accelerate the development, demonstration, and deployment of
advanced technologies and innovative solutions that support the
environmental cleanup missions of the Department of Energy, help
prevent the future generation and accumulation of nuclear waste from
both current and anticipated future nuclear activities, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 11, 2026
Mr. Lujan (for himself and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To accelerate the development, demonstration, and deployment of
advanced technologies and innovative solutions that support the
environmental cleanup missions of the Department of Energy, help
prevent the future generation and accumulation of nuclear waste from
both current and anticipated future nuclear activities, 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 TITLES.
This Act may be cited as the ``Combining Laboratory Expertise to
Accelerate Novel Solutions for Minimizing Accumulated Radioactive
Toxins Act of 2026'' or the ``CLEAN SMART Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
of the House of Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental
Management.
(3) Chair.--The term ``Chair'' means the Chair of the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
(4) Core national laboratories.--The term ``Core National
Laboratories'' means the Idaho National Laboratory, the Los
Alamos National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Sandia National
Laboratories, and the Corporate Lab.
(5) Corporate lab.--The term ``Corporate Lab'' means the
Savannah River National Laboratory.
(6) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(7) Director.--The term ``Director'' means Director of the
Office of Legacy Management.
(8) Federal site life-cycle estimate.--The term ``Federal
site life-cycle estimate'' means the scope, cost, and schedule
profiles of work activities, including sunk costs and other
relevant metrics, of work activities pertaining to the cleanup
mission for an individual site of the Office of Environmental
Management.
(9) Framework.--The term ``Framework'' means the Technology
Development and Deployment Framework developed pursuant to
section 5.
(10) Memorandum.--The term ``Memorandum'' means the
memorandum of understanding entered into pursuant to section
4(c).
(11) Network.--The term ``Network'' means the Network of
National Laboratories for Environmental Management and
Stewardship established pursuant to section 3.
(12) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(13) Site.--The term ``site'' means any outstanding
defense- and non-defense-related nuclear waste site that is
undergoing environmental remediation and facility
decommissioning under the responsibility of the Office of
Environmental Management, and any site that is undergoing long-
term maintenance and surveillance under the responsibility of
the Office of Legacy Management.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NETWORK OF NATIONAL LABORATORIES FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND STEWARDSHIP.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a steering
committee to be known as the ``Network of National Laboratories for
Environmental Management and Stewardship''.
(b) Purpose.--The Network shall advance the scientific and
technical expertise of the National Laboratory system in support of the
environmental cleanup mission of the Office of Environmental Management
and the long-term surveillance and maintenance mission of the Office of
Legacy Management through support for research, development,
demonstration, and deployment of treatment technologies, disposal
methods, and other capabilities--
(1) to minimize the impact of environmental contamination
and risks to public health and the environment from radioactive
and hazardous waste and materials from defense-related nuclear
activities;
(2) to lower lifecycle cleanup costs for sites;
(3) to accelerate cleanup schedules or reduce the timeframe
of site decommissioning; and
(4) to address high-priority technical challenges in
cleanup operations, or otherwise improve the effectiveness and
safety of cleanup methods.
(c) Duties.--At the direction of the Assistant Secretary and the
Director, the Network and its participants shall--
(1) leverage National Laboratory partnerships to develop
alternate treatment technologies, disposal methods, strategies,
and other capabilities to assist in the cleanup and long-term
management of sites, in order to improve the cost, timeframe,
effectiveness, and safety of cleanup methods;
(2) identify and coordinate technical support resources and
capabilities to address emergent events associated with
environmental cleanup and long-term monitoring of sites and
facilitate the deployment of viable alternative treatment
technologies, disposal methods, and other capabilities;
(3) conduct scalable performance testing, evaluation,
verification, and validation of alternate treatment
technologies, disposal methods, and other capabilities to
demonstrate the potential cost, safety, and performance
benefits of such capabilities in comparison to those currently
deployed in support of the environmental cleanup mission of the
Department;
(4) leverage relevant infrastructure at the Core National
Laboratories, including the recently constructed Advanced
Manufacturing Collaborative facility;
(5) conduct independent programmatic and technical reviews
of plans or activities of the Department at the national or
site level, including assessments of technology performance and
alignment with respect to the programmatic priorities of the
Office of Environmental Management and the Office of Legacy
Management;
(6) collaborate with the contractors and staff of the
Department, other Federal agencies, academia, industry, and
other relevant entities to ensure best practices are being
exchanged and to identify opportunities for technology
transfer;
(7) provide scientific and technical analysis to the
Department and to stakeholders, as directed by the Department,
regarding environmental cleanup, waste disposal, and long-term
stewardship policy options and issues;
(8) provide an integrated science and technology
perspective to support near- and long-term strategic planning
for the Office of Environmental Management and the Office of
Legacy Management at sites, including conducting analyses of
alternative technologies and treatment methods and providing
input on their insertion into the cleanup mission;
(9) coordinate and serve through the Corporate Lab as a
liaison among the Department and contractors of the Department
and the National Laboratories with capabilities relating to the
Office of Environmental Management and the Office of Legacy
Management that have been developed and supported across all of
the program offices of the Department;
(10) provide technical expertise to inform contract
decisions and language, research and development investments of
the Department, and technical feasibility of contractor
proposals consistent with all appropriate and applicable
compliance requirements to mitigate potential conflicts of
interest;
(11) assist the Department in developing and maintaining
career pathway training opportunities in environmental
remediation science, with a focus on engaging historically
underserved or marginalized populations; and
(12) other duties as determined by the Assistant Secretary
and the Director.
(d) Membership.--The Network shall be comprised of a representative
from--
(1) each Core National Laboratory;
(2) each of the other National Laboratories with stewarded
competencies for research activities associated with the Office
of Environmental Management and the Office of Legacy
Management, including the Argonne National Laboratory, the
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, and the
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; and
(3) other National Laboratories or entities at the request
of the Assistant Secretary or the Director.
(e) Leadership and Responsibilities.--
(1) Composition.--The leadership of the Network shall be
composed of--
(A) a liaison from the Office of Environmental
Management, designated by the Assistant Secretary, who
shall be responsible for National Laboratory
stewardship, coordination of resources, and guidance
and oversight of the Network regarding the needs of the
Office of Environmental Management;
(B) a liaison from the Office of Legacy Management,
designated by the Director, who shall work directly
with the Director and members of the Network to fulfill
the needs of the Office of Legacy Management;
(C) an Executive Director, who shall--
(i) be affiliated with the Corporate Lab
and appointed by the Network Chair and Network
Co-Chair; and
(ii) work on behalf of all National
Laboratories to coordinate the day-to-day needs
of the Network;
(D) an official representative from each Core
National Laboratory, who shall be designated by the
respective Laboratory Director or Chief Research
Officer, and who shall be responsible for coordinating
and procuring the full complement of capabilities and
resources from the relevant National Laboratory in
order to fulfill its obligations with respect to the
Network; and
(E) ad hoc representatives, who are Federal
Government employees or employees of the management and
operating contractors of the National Laboratories, and
who may be--
(i) representatives of other National
Laboratories, as needed based on the work
undertaken by the Network; or
(ii) additional representatives from the
Core National Laboratories, as needed and
subject to the approval of the Network Chair
and Network Co-Chair, with concurrence of the
liaisons of the Office of Environmental
Management and the Office of Legacy Management.
(2) Network chair and network co-chair.--
(A) Network chair.--The Laboratory Director for the
Savannah River National Laboratory shall--
(i) serve as Network Chair;
(ii) report to the Assistant Secretary and
the Director; and
(iii) ensure the overall effectiveness and
coordination of the Network.
(B) Network co-chair.--The Network Co-Chair shall
work with the Network Chair to ensure the overall
effectiveness of the Network and shall rotate annually
among the Directors and Deputy Directors of the Core
National Laboratories.
(f) Participation of Nonmembers.--
(1) Engagement.--The Network may engage stakeholders, such
as industry experts, educators, nonprofit stakeholders, and
advisory groups, for the purpose of receiving mission-relevant
information from such stakeholders.
(2) Limitations on participation.--The Network shall
prevent the regular and systematic participation of
stakeholders at meetings of the Network, unless otherwise
authorized by this Act.
(3) Limitations on nonmember input.--The engagement of
nonmembers shall be limited to the provision of individual
advice and recommendations, unless otherwise authorized by this
Act.
(g) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination
with the Assistant Secretary and the Director, shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report that includes a summary
of--
(1) the major activities of the Network during the prior
year;
(2) the major science and technology efforts of the Office
of Environmental Management and the Office of Legacy Management
during the prior year; and
(3) the state of technology adoption and alignment across
the Office of Environmental Management and the Office of Legacy
Management.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary--
(1) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year
thereafter to support the development and implementation of
activities specified under subsection (c); and
(2) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year
thereafter to support the operation and coordination of the
Network.
(i) Other Environmental Cleanup Challenges.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Assistant Secretary and the Director, may enter
into an agreement with any Federal agency to utilize the capabilities
of the Network to address radiological hazards and environmental
contamination challenges at locations where the Office of Environmental
Management and Office of Legacy Management do not have primary cleanup
responsibilities, if and only if the agreement--
(1) is subject to the availability of the existing
appropriations of the Department, except for those authorized
in subsection (h), and to the extent possible leverages
existing appropriations and resources from the Federal agency
with which the agreement is made;
(2) does not utilize resources made available to support
the cleanup missions of the Office of Environmental Management
and the Office of Legacy Management; and
(3) does not utilize the capabilities of the Network in a
manner that would prevent or otherwise limit the Network from
fulfilling responsibilities specified in subsection (c).
(j) Inapplicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Chapter 10
of title 5 (commonly referred to as the ``Federal Advisory Committee
Act''), shall not apply with respect to the Network or the activities
of the Network.
SEC. 4. COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICES AND OTHER
FEDERAL AGENCIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the Network,
shall improve coordination across the Department and the Federal
Government on science and technology efforts applicable to the
environmental cleanup mission of the Office of Environmental Management
as necessary to procure sufficient expertise and resources to address
the full range of research challenges and needs identified by the
Office.
(b) Interagency Working Advisory on Technology Excellence in
Environmental Cleanup.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory
group to be known as the ``Interagency Advisory Group on
Technology Excellence in Environmental Cleanup'', which shall--
(A) coordinate relevant technology transfer
activities among the National Laboratories, the
Technology Transfer Working Group of the Department,
and other appropriate Federal agencies;
(B) facilitate the exchange of mission-relevant
information and best practices, including information
on technology transfer practices, developments in
environmental remediation science and treatment
methods, and alternative approaches to radioactive
waste management;
(C) identify and recommend technologies developed
within and outside of the jurisdiction of the
Department with potential applications for the Office
of Environmental Management;
(D) identify and recommend opportunities to utilize
the services and expertise of the Network to assist in
addressing cleanup challenges at locations where the
Office of Environmental Management does not have
cleanup responsibilities, as described in section 3(i);
and
(E) develop and disseminate to the public and
prospective technology partners information about
opportunities and procedures for technology transfer
with the Network.
(2) Composition.--
(A) Members.--The Advisory Group shall be comprised
of representatives selected from--
(i) the Core National Laboratories;
(ii) the Office of Environmental
Management;
(iii) the Office of Legacy Management;
(iv) the Office of Nuclear Energy;
(v) the Office of Science;
(vi) the National Nuclear Security
Administration;
(vii) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(viii) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
(ix) the Bureau of Land Management;
(x) the National Park Service;
(xi) the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
(xii) the United States Forest Service;
(xiii) such other Federal agencies with
relevant science and technology expertise, as
the Secretary determines, including agencies
within the Department involved in technology
development relating to radioactive waste
disposal or environmental remediation;
(xiv) State and Tribal governments;
(xv) academia; and
(xvi) the private sector.
(3) Chair.--The Assistant Secretary shall serve as the
Chair of the Advisory Group.
(4) Meetings.--The Advisory Group shall meet not less
frequently than once every 180 days.
(5) Inapplicability of federal advisory committee act.--
Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to
as the ``Federal Advisory Committee Act''), shall not apply
with respect to the Advisory Group or the activities of the
Advisory Group.
(c) Partnership With Office of Science.--
(1) Memorandum of understanding.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant
Secretary and the Director of the Office of Science of the
Department shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to
facilitate improved coordination and cooperation between the
Office of Environmental Management and the Office of Science on
areas of basic research that are applicable to the
environmental cleanup mission of the Office of Environmental
Management.
(2) Basic research needs workshops.--Not later than 180
days after the Memorandum takes effect, and on a periodic basis
thereafter, the Director of the Office of Science, in
coordination with the Assistant Secretary and the Network,
shall administer a workshop to solicit the input of relevant
Federal agencies, academia, industry, the National
Laboratories, and other relevant entities--
(A) to identify the major basic research needs of
the Office of Environmental Management; and
(B) to develop strategic research plans to advance
knowledge and technological capabilities to address the
basic research needs identified in subparagraph (A).
(3) Reports.--
(A) Initial workshop report.--Not later than 180
days after the date of the initial workshop described
in paragraph (2), the Assistant Secretary and the
Director of the Office of Science shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report
summarizing the major findings of the workshop,
including gaps in basic research knowledge relating to
the environmental cleanup mission of the Office of
Environmental Management.
(B) Not later than 1 year after the Memorandum
takes effect, the Assistant Secretary and the Director
of the Office of Science shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report
summarizing the steps that the Office of Environmental
Management and the Office of Science have taken to
fulfill the obligations of the Memorandum.
SEC. 5. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS OF THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT.
(a) In General.--At the request and direction of the Assistant
Secretary, the Network shall provide an integrated science and
technology perspective to assist the Office of Environmental Management
in implementing and enhancing established, technology-focused strategic
plans, roadmaps, and program management protocols as necessary to
incorporate leading program management practices and facilitate safe,
timely, and cost-efficient cleanup of sites.
(b) Technology Development and Deployment Framework.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall direct the Network, in
coordination with the Assistant Secretary, to develop and
update biennially a framework to be known as the ``Technology
Development and Deployment Framework'' that outlines--
(A) the key science and technology objectives of
the Office of Environmental Management; and
(B) an integrated strategy to assist the Office of
Environmental Management in--
(i) selecting safe, effective, and cost-
efficient approaches to resolve technically
complex challenges or reduce the cost, time,
and scope associated with the cleanup mission;
(ii) advancing the development,
demonstration, and deployment of new
innovations, such as alternate treatment
technologies, disposal methods, and other
capabilities; and
(iii) maximizing the benefits of existing
research and technology investments.
(2) Objectives.--The Framework shall complement and support
existing program management protocols, strategic plans, and
roadmaps of the Office of Environmental Management and, at
minimum, shall--
(A) emphasize support for a wide of range of
research and technology development activities,
including--
(i) applied technology research and
technology development programs that seek to--
(I) improve existing technologies
or mature early concept and emerging
technologies as specified under section
4406A(a) of the Atomic Energy Defense
Act (50 U.S.C. 2586a(a)); and
(II) pursue breakthrough
innovations or improvements to the
cleanup mission that substantially
lower lifecycle cleanup costs and
schedules or address technically
complex cleanup challenges, as
specified under section 4406A(b) of the
Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C.
2586a(b));
(ii) basic research;
(iii) scientific studies and technical
issue resolution to support evaluation and
selection of technologies for insertion into
the cleanup mission; and
(iv) research that addresses both near-
term, site-specific needs and long-term,
program-wide needs;
(B) summarize the major focus areas and objectives
of the science and technology efforts of the Office of
Environment Management;
(C) detail plans to leverage relevant advances and
expertise in other technology development programs
across the Department, the National Laboratories,
academia, private industry, and other technology
providers; and
(D) support the development or maintenance of a
workforce pipeline that leverages the capabilities of
institutions of higher education, especially those
serving minority or historically underserved
populations.
(c) Corrective Action Plans.--Section 4713 of the Atomic Energy
Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2753) is amended by inserting at the end the
following:
``(e) Corrective Action Plans for Defense Environmental Cleanup
Projects.--If a root cause analysis for a defense environmental cleanup
project is required under the project management protocols of the
Department of Energy or under subsection (c)(3), then--
``(1) the site contracting entity, in consultation with the
site manager and Assistant Secretary, shall develop a
corrective action plan to address the underlying causes for the
cost or schedule change identified in the analysis; and
``(2) the Secretary, at the conclusion of the corrective
action plan, shall--
``(A) conduct an independent review that includes
an assessment and validation of the efficacy of the
corrective measures utilized;
``(B) submit to the appropriate congressional
committees the outcome of the assessment described in
subparagraph (A); and
``(C) certify to the appropriate congressional
committees that program management measures are in
place to manage the cost and schedule of the project
and mitigate against future cost overruns.''.
<all>
CLEAN SMART Act of 2026
#3828 | S Congress #119
Policy Area: Energy
Subjects:
Last Action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (2/11/2026)
Bill Text Source: Congress.gov
Summary and Impacts
Original Text