A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to require congressional approval of agreements for peaceful nuclear cooperation with foreign countries, and for other purposes.

Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to require congressional approval of an agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation (section 123 agreement). (Under current law such an agreement becomes effective unless Congress disapproves it within a specified time period.)

Directs the President to keep the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations fully informed of any initiative or negotiations relating to a new or amended section 123 agreement.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 109 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 109

    To amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to require congressional 
 approval of agreements for peaceful nuclear cooperation with foreign 
                   countries, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             January 25 (legislative day, January 5), 2011

  Mr. Ensign introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to require congressional 
 approval of agreements for peaceful nuclear cooperation with foreign 
                   countries, 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. REQUIREMENT FOR CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF AGREEMENTS FOR 
              PEACEFUL NUCLEAR COOPERATION.

    (a) Cooperation With Other Nations.--Section 123 d. of the Atomic 
Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2153 d.) is amended in the first 
sentence--
            (1) by striking ``not'' the first and second place it 
        appears;
            (2) by inserting ``only'' after ``effective'' the first 
        place it appears; and
            (3) by striking ``: Provided further,'' and all that 
        follows through ``such agreement''.
    (b) Subsequent Arrangements.--Section 131 a.(1) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 2160 a.(1)) is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence, by striking ``security,'' and 
        all that follows and inserting ``security.''; and
            (2) by inserting after the second sentence the following: 
        ``Such subsequent arrangement shall not take effect unless the 
        Congress enacts a joint resolution of approval, according to 
        the procedures of sections 123 d. and 130 i. of this Act. Any 
        such nuclear proliferation assessment statement shall be 
        submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate no later than the 31st day of continuous session after 
        submission of the subsequent arrangement.''.

SEC. 2. INITIATIVES AND NEGOTIATIONS RELATING TO AGREEMENTS FOR 
              PEACEFUL NUCLEAR COOPERATION.

    Section 123 e. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2153(e)) 
is amended to read as follows:
    ``e. The President shall keep the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate fully and currently informed of any initiative or 
negotiations relating to a new or amended agreement for peaceful 
nuclear cooperation pursuant to this section prior to the President's 
announcement of such initiative or negotiations. The President shall 
consult with the appropriate congressional committees concerning such 
initiative or negotiations beginning not less than 15 calendar days 
after the initiation of any such negotiations, or the receipt or 
transmission of a draft agreement, whichever occurs first, and monthly 
thereafter until such time as the negotiations are concluded.''.
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