Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§5821 Annual authorization Acts

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 73— - DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY SOURCES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION › § 5821

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

All money given to the Energy Research and Development Administration or its head must be approved each year under the normal authorization laws. Money labeled for “Operating expenses” can pay to build or buy research facilities or major equipment at sites outside the Administration, and can fund grants to organizations to build research facilities. But the Administration cannot spend those funds on any facility costing more than $5,000,000 or any piece of equipment costing more than $2,000,000 unless the proper House and Senate committees already approved it, or the Administrator sends the committees a report describing the project, its purpose, and its estimated cost and then waits 30 calendar days (not counting long congressional breaks) unless the committees say they have no objection. Up to 1% of operating funds may be used to build, expand, or change labs or buy land at Administration-controlled sites if the Administrator finds it urgently needed because of program changes or new science, but the Administrator must give the committees a full report and wait the same 30 days or get their written no-objection. Appropriated money cannot be used for any program in excess of what was authorized or for a program that was not presented to Congress. Reprogramming cannot cut the combined funds for certain energy categories (coal; petroleum and natural gas; oil shale; solar; geothermal; non-weapons nuclear energy; environment and safety; and conservation) by more than 10% of their total. When an appropriation act says so, operating and plant funds can be merged with similar funds from other laws (but plant money cannot be merged into operating), and such funds can be made available until spent. The Administrator may do design work ahead of time for urgent construction projects already sent to Congress. When an appropriation act allows, fees and other receipts may be kept and used for operating expenses (with certain exceptions), and operating funds may be transferred to other agencies to perform the work and merged with their appropriations.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §5821

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)All appropriations made to the Energy Research and Development Administration or the Administrator shall, except as otherwise provided by law, be subject to annual authorization in accordance with section 2017 of this title, section 5915 of this title, and section 5875 of this title. The provisions of this section shall apply with respect to appropriations made pursuant to the Act providing such authorization (hereinafter in this section referred to as “annual authorization Acts”).
(b)(1)Funds appropriated pursuant to an annual authorization Act for “Operating expenses” may be used for—
(A)the construction or acquisition of any facilities, or major items of equipment, which may be required at locations other than installations of the Administration, for the performance of research, development, and demonstration activities, and
(B)grants to any organization for purchase or construction of research facilities.
(2)No funds shall be used under paragraph (1) for any facility or major item of equipment, including collateral equipment, if the estimated cost to the Federal Government exceeds $5,000,000 in the case of such a facility or $2,000,000 in the case of such an item of equipment, unless such facility or item has been previously authorized by the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, or the Administrator—
(A)transmit to the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on such facility or item showing its nature, purpose, and estimated cost, and
(B)waits a period of thirty calendar days (not including any day in which either House of Congress is not in session because of adjournment of more than three calendar days to a day certain), unless prior to the expiration of such period each such committee has transmitted to the Administrator written notice to the effect that such committee has no objection to the proposed action.
(c)(1)Not to exceed 1 per centum of all funds appropriated pursuant to any annual authorization Act for “Operating expenses” may be used by the Administrator to construct, expand, or modify laboratories and other facilities, including the acquisition of land, at any location under the control of the Administrator, if the Administrator determines that (A) such action would be necessary because of changes in the national programs authorized to be funded by such Act or because of new scientific or engineering developments, and (B) deferral of such action until the enactment of the next authorization Act would be inconsistent with the policies established by Congress for the Administration.
(2)No funds may be obligated for expenditure or expended under paragraph (1) for activities described in such paragraph unless—
(A)a period of thirty calendar days (not including any day in which either House of Congress is not in session because of adjournment of more than three calendar days to a day certain) has passed after the Administrator has transmitted to the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate a written report containing a full and complete statement concerning (i) the nature of the construction, expansion, or modification involved, (ii) the cost thereof, including the cost of any real estate action pertaining thereto, and (iii) the reason why such construction, expansion, or modification is necessary and in the national interest, or
(B)each such committee before the expiration of such period has transmitted to the Administrator a written notice to the effect that such committee has no objection to the proposed action;
(d)(1)Except as otherwise provided in the authorization Act involved—
(A)no amount appropriated pursuant to any annual authorization Act may be used for any program in excess of the amount actually authorized for that particular program by such Act, and
(B)no amount appropriated pursuant to any annual authorization Act may be used for any program which has not been presented to, or requested of the Congress,
(2)Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or the authorization Act involved, the aggregate amount available for use within the categories of coal, petroleum and natural gas, oil shale, solar, geothermal, nuclear energy (non-weapons), environment and safety, and conservation from sums appropriated pursuant to an annual authorization Act may not, as a result of reprograming, be decreased by more than 10 per centum of the total of the sums appropriated pursuant to such Act for those categories.
(e)Subject to the applicable requirements and limitations of this section and the authorization Act involved, when so specified in an appropriation Act, amounts appropriated pursuant to any annual authorization Act for “Operating expenses” or for “Plant and capital equipment” may be merged with any other amounts appropriated for like purposes pursuant to any other Act authorizing appropriations for the Administration: Provided, That no such amounts appropriated for “Plant and capital equipment” may be merged with amounts appropriated for “Operating expenses”.
(f)When so specified in an appropriation Act, amounts appropriated pursuant to any annual authorization Act for “Operating expenses” or for “Plant and capital equipment” may remain available until expended.
(g)The Administrator is authorized to perform construction design services for any administration construction project whenever (1) such construction project has been included in a proposed authorization bill transmitted to the Congress by the Administration, and (2) the Administration determines that the project is of such urgency in order to meet the needs of national defense or protection of life and property or health and safety that construction of the project should be initiated promptly upon enactment of legislation appropriating funds for its construction.
(h)When so specified in appropriation Acts, any moneys received by the Administration may be retained and used for operating expenses, and may remain available until expended, notwithstanding the provisions of section 3302(b) of title 31; except that—
(1)this subsection shall not apply with respect to sums received from disposal of property under the Atomic Energy Community Act of 1955 [42 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.] or the Strategic and Critical Materials Stockpiling Act, as amended [50 U.S.C. 98 et seq.], or with respect to fees received for tests or investigations under the Act of May 16, 1910, as amended (30 U.S.C. 7); and
(2)revenues received by the Administration from the enrichment of uranium shall (when so specified) be retained and used for the specific purpose of offsetting costs incurred by the Administration in providing uranium enrichment service activities.
(i)When so specified in an appropriation Act, transfers of sums from the “Operating expenses” appropriation made pursuant to an annual authorization Act may be made to other agencies of the Government for the performance of the work for which the appropriation is made, and in such cases the sums so transferred may be merged with the appropriations to which they are transferred.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Atomic Energy Community Act of 1955, referred to in subsec. (h)(1), is act Aug. 4, 1955, ch. 543, 69 Stat. 472, which is classified principally to chapter 24 (§ 2301 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2301 of this title and Tables. The Strategic and Critical Materials Stockpiling Act, as amended, referred to in subsec. (h)(1), is act
June 7, 1939, ch. 190, as revised generally by Pub. L. 96–41, § 2,
July 30, 1979, 93 Stat. 319, which is classified generally to subchapter III (§ 98 et seq.) of chapter 5 of Title 50, War and National Defense. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 98 of Title 50 and Tables. Act of
May 16, 1910, as amended, referred to in subsec. (h)(1), is act
May 16, 1910, ch. 240, 36 Stat. 369, which enacted section 1, 3, and 5 to 7 of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification In subsec. (h), “section 3302(b) of title 31” substituted for “section 3617 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 484)” on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, the first section of which enacted Title 31, Money and Finance.

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in subsec. (g) of this section were contained in the following appropriation authorization acts, formerly classified to section 2017a–1 of this title. Pub. L. 95–39, title III, § 304,
June 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 189. Pub. L. 94–187, title III, § 301, Dec. 31, 1975, 89 Stat. 1073. Pub. L. 93–276, title I, § 103,
May 10, 1974, 88 Stat. 118. Pub. L. 93–60, § 103,
July 6, 1973, 87 Stat. 144. Pub. L. 92–314, title I, § 103,
June 16, 1972, 86 Stat. 225. Pub. L. 92–84, title I, § 103, Aug. 11, 1971, 85 Stat. 306. Pub. L. 91–273, § 103,
June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 300. Pub. L. 91–44, § 103,
July 11, 1969, 83 Stat. 47. Pub. L. 90–289, § 103, Apr. 19, 1968, 82 Stat. 97. Pub. L. 90–56, § 103,
July 26, 1967, 81 Stat. 125. Pub. L. 89–428, § 103,
May 21, 1966, 80 Stat. 163. Pub. L. 89–32, § 103,
June 2, 1965, 79 Stat. 122. Pub. L. 88–332, § 104,
June 30, 1964, 78 Stat. 229.

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 103–437 substituted “Committee on Science, Space, and Technology” for “Committee on Science and Technology”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Nonapplicability of Title II of Pub. L. 95–238 to Any Authorization or Appropriation for Military Application of Nuclear Energy, Etc.; Definitions Pub. L. 95–238, title II, § 209, Feb. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 76, provided that: “(a) Nothing in this title [enacting this section and section 5556a and 5919 of this title, amending section 2391, 2394, 5905, 5906, and 5914 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 7256 of this title and section 2429 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse] shall apply with respect to any authorization or appropriation for any military application of nuclear energy, for research and development in support of the Armed Forces, or for the common defense and security of the United States. “(b)(1) The term ‘military application’ means any activity authorized or permitted by chapter 9 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (Public Law 83–703, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 2121, 2122). “(2) The term ‘research and development’ as used in this section, is defined by section 11 x., of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (Public Law 83–703, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 2014). “(3) The term ‘common defense and security’ means the common defense and security of the United States as used in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (Public Law 83–703, as amended) [section 2011 et seq. of this title].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 5821

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73