text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``National Center for Excellence in 
  Research and Development Act of 1994''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds the following:
              (1) Due to the end of the Cold War, the United States has 
          not recently conducted underground nuclear testing at the 
          Department of Energy facility known as the Nevada Test Site, 
          Nevada, and the United States does not plan to conduct such 
          testing in the foreseeable future.
              (2) Because the world political situation is ever-changing 
          and dangerous, it is imperative that the United States remain 
          strong militarily and continue to be a nuclear superpower.
              (3) It is imperative that the Nevada Test Site be 
          maintained in a full state of readiness to ensure the 
          capability of the nuclear arsenal of the United States.
              (4) The Nevada Test Site is in a beneficial location for 
          activities suitable for research and development of emerging 
          technologies that will be important to the United States in the 
          21st century.
              (5) Technology development carried out at the Nevada Test 
          Site should include both private-sector and military projects.
              (6) The Nevada Test Site can support the stewardship of the 
          Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, the nonproliferation of 
          nuclear weapons, and the technological competitiveness of the 
          United States by providing the environment for nuclear and non-
          nuclear test and demonstration experiments and projects for 
          government, industry, and academia.
              (7) The Nevada Test Site can provide the infrastructure to 
          support industrial and civilian tests of environmentally 
          demanding projects and programs.
              (8) The Nevada Test Site can support the testing and 
          demonstration of environmental clean-up technologies by 
          government and industry.
              (9) The Nevada Test Site can support the testing of 
          alternative and renewable energy sources for environmentally 
          clean and economically competitive replacements for traditional 
          fossil energy sources and uses in many parts of Nevada and in 
          the United States as a whole.
              (10) The Nevada Test Site can provide support for 
          disarmament activities such as the demonstration of rocket 
          motor destruction technology and conventional munitions 
          destruction technology.
              (11) The Nevada Test Site can support non-proliferation 
          experiments in disablement, nuclear forensics, sensors, and 
          verification and monitoring.
              (12) The Nevada Test Site can support treaty-compliant 
          experiments for stockpile stewardship purposes.
              (13) The size and remoteness of the Nevada Test Site make 
          the Nevada Test Site well-suited for a multitude of activities 
          associated with the restructuring of the United States 
          military.
  
  SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
  
      It is the purpose of this Act--
              (1) to ensure full operational readiness of the underground 
          nuclear testing facilities and infrastructure of the Nevada 
          Test Site;
              (2) to ensure an appropriate level of funds for such 
          readiness to be maintained;
              (3) to create a National Test and Demonstration Center of 
          Excellence at the Nevada Test Site for the promotion of 
          disarmament, demilitarization, alternative and renewable energy 
          sources, the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, sensor 
          development, and environmentally sensitive technologies; and
              (4) to ensure the availability of the Nevada Test Site, 
          within appropriate restrictions, for use by private-sector 
          industries seeking to make use of the inherent qualities that 
          make the Nevada Test Site the greatest outdoor laboratory in 
          the world.
  
  SEC. 4. MAINTENANCE OF READINESS CAPABILITY OF NEVADA TEST SITE.
  
      (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--
              (1) In general.--The amount referred to in paragraph (2) is 
          hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy 
          for fiscal year 1995 and each fiscal year thereafter to 
          maintain the operational readiness of the underground nuclear 
          testing facilities and infrastructure of the Nevada Test Site.
              (2) Authorized amount.--The amount referred to in paragraph 
          (1) is not less than the amount appropriated to the Secretary 
          of Energy for fiscal year 1992 to maintain the operational 
          readiness of the underground nuclear testing facilities and 
          infrastructure of the Nevada Test Site.
      (b) Staffing Levels.--During fiscal year 1995 and each fiscal year 
  thereafter, the Secretary of Energy shall maintain a staffing level at 
  the Nevada Test Site that the Secretary considers sufficient to carry 
  out activities under this Act in addition to any other activities 
  conducted by the Department of Energy at the Nevada Test Site.
      (c) Infrastructure Assessments and Activities.--The Secretary of 
  Energy, through the Nevada Test Site Operations Office, shall carry out 
  any infrastructure assessments and activities necessary to accommodate 
  new projects and initiatives at the Nevada Test Site.
  
  SEC. 5. NATIONAL TEST AND DEMONSTRATION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.
  
      (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established within the 
  Department of Energy a National Test and Demonstration Center of 
  Excellence (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Center''), to be 
  located at the Nevada Test Site, Nevada.
      (b) Purpose.--It shall be the purpose of the Center to promote 
  disarmament, demilitarization, alternative and renewable energy 
  sources, the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, sensor development, 
  and environmentally sensitive technologies.
      (c) Activities Related to Alternative and Renewable Energy 
  Sources.--The Center shall carry out the following testing and 
  demonstration activities that are related to alternative and renewable 
  energy sources:
              (1) The characterization of solar and geothermal resources 
          at the Nevada Test Site.
              (2) The development of alternative and renewable energy 
          sources, including, as a goal of the Center, the development 
          and completion of two 100-megawatt solar power plants by the 
          year 2000.
              (3) The conduct of a National Alternative-Fueled Vehicles 
          Program, the objective of which shall be to demonstrate the 
          regional use of natural gas, electricity, and hydrogen as 
          vehicle fuels.
      (d) Activities Related to Disarmament and Demilitarization.--The 
  Center shall carry out testing and demonstration activities that are 
  related to changes occurring in United States military as a result of 
  the end of the Cold War, including activities--
              (1) that involve the demilitarization of large rocket motor 
          and conventional ordnance;
              (2) that assist in disarmament and demilitarization, 
          generally; and
              (3) that test and demonstrate the nonmilitary application 
          of technologies and resources the military application of which 
          has decreased or otherwise changed due to disarmament and 
          demilitarization.
      (e) Activities Related to Nuclear Stockpile Stewardship.--The 
  Center shall carry out testing and demonstration activities related to 
  the stewardship of the nuclear stockpile of the United States. Such 
  activities shall include--
              (1) the conduct of experiments that assist in monitoring 
          compliance with international agreements on the 
          nonproliferation of nuclear weapons;
              (2) the provision of support to the Department of Energy 
          nuclear weapons complex;
              (3) the conduct of programs for the Department of Energy 
          and the Department of Defense to develop simulator technologies 
          for nuclear weapons design and effects, including advanced 
          hydrodynamic simulators, inertial confinement fusion test 
          facilities, and nuclear weapons effects simulators (such as the 
          Decade and Jupiter simulators); and
              (4) the conduct of the stockpile stewardship program 
          established pursuant to section 3138 of the National Defense 
          Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (107 Stat. 1946; Public 
          Law 103-160).
      (f) Activities Related to Nonproliferation.--The Center shall carry 
  out experiments related to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, 
  including experiments with respect to disablement, nuclear forensics, 
  sensors, and verification and monitoring.
      (g) Activities Related to Environmental Technologies.--The Center 
  shall carry out testing and demonstration activities related to the 
  development of environmental technologies, including--
              (1) the demonstration of technologies concerning the 
          remediation of toxic and hazardous chemicals; and
              (2) the conduct of training activities pertaining to 
          emergency response to hazardous and toxic accidents and 
          emergencies.
      (h) Other Activities.--The Center may carry out the testing and 
  demonstration of any other technology which, in the determination of 
  the Secretary of Energy, is appropriate for testing and demonstration 
  at the Nevada Test Site.
  
  SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      Except as provided in section 4, there is hereby authorized to be 
  appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for fiscal year 1995 such sums 
  as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
target: National Center for Excellence in Research and Development Act of 1994 - Authorizes appropriations to maintain the readiness capability of the underground Nevada Test Site. 
  Establishes within the Department of Energy a National Test and Demonstration Center of Excellence to be located at such Site. 
  Directs the Center to carry out activities related to:  (1) alternative and renewable energy sources; (2) nuclear stockpile stewardship; (3) disarmament and demilitarization; (4) nonproliferation; and (5) environmental technologies.   Authorizes appropriations.
feat_title: National Center for Excellence in Research and Development Act of 1994