42 U.S.C. § 2201 — General duties of Commission

In the performance of its functions the Commission is authorized to— **(a) Establishment of advisory boards** establish advisory boards to advise with and make recommendations to the Commission on legislation, policies, administration, research, and other matters, provided that the Commission issues regulations setting forth the scope, procedure, and limitations of the authority of each such board; **(b) Standards governing use and possession of material** establish by rule, regulation, or order, such standards and instructions to govern the possession and use of special nuclear material, source material, and byproduct material as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable to promote the common defense and security or to protect health or to minimize danger to life or property; in addition, the Commission shall prescribe such regulations or orders as may be necessary or desirable to promote the Nation’s common defense and security with regard to control, ownership, or possession of any equipment or device, or important component part especially designed for such equipment or device, capable of separating the isotopes of uranium or enriching uranium in the isotope 235; **(c) Studies and investigations** make such studies and investigations, obtain such information, and hold such meetings or hearings as the Commission may deem necessary or proper to assist it in exercising any authority provided in this chapter, or in the administration or enforcement of this chapter, or any regulations or orders issued thereunder. For such purposes the Commission is authorized to administer oaths and affirmations, and by subpena to require any person to appear and testify, or to appear and produce documents, or both, at any designated place. Witnesses subpenaed under this subsection shall be paid the same fees and mileage as are paid witnesses in the district courts of the United States; **(d) Employment of personnel** appoint and fix the compensation of such officers and employees as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Commission. Such officers and employees shall be appointed in accordance with the civil-service laws and their compensation fixed in accordance with chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, except that, to the extent the Commission deems such action necessary to the discharge of its responsibilities, personnel may be employed and their compensation fixed without regard to such laws: Provided, however, That no officer or employee (except such officers and employees whose compensation is fixed by law, and scientific and technical personnel up to a limit of the highest rate of grade 18 of the General Schedule) whose position would be subject to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, if such provisions were applicable to such position, shall be paid a salary at a rate in excess of the rate payable under such provisions for positions of equivalent difficulty or responsibility. Such rates of compensation may be adopted by the Commission as may be authorized by chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, as of the same date such rates are authorized for positions subject to such provisions. The Commission shall make adequate provision for administrative review of any determination to dismiss any employee; **(e) Acquisition of material, property, etc.; negotiation of commercial leases** acquire such material, property, equipment, and facilities, establish or construct such buildings and facilities, and modify such buildings and facilities from time to time, as it may deem necessary, and construct, acquire, provide, or arrange for such facilities and services (at project sites where such facilities and services are not available) for the housing, health, safety, welfare, and recreation of personnel employed by the Commission as it may deem necessary, subject to the provisions of [section 2224 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2224&num=0&edition=prelim): Provided, however, That in the communities owned by the Commission, the Commission is authorized to grant privileges, leases and permits upon adjusted terms which (at the time of the initial grant of any privilege grant, lease, or permit, or renewal thereof, or in order to avoid inequities or undue hardship prior to the sale by the United States of property affected by such grant) are fair and reasonable to responsible persons to operate commercial businesses without advertising and without advertising 11 So in original. and without securing competitive bids, but taking into consideration, in addition to the price, and among other things (1) the quality and type of services required by the residents of the community, (2) the experience of each concession applicant in the community and its surrounding area, (3) the ability of the concession applicant to meet the needs of the community, and (4) the contribution the concession applicant has made or will make to the other activities and general welfare of the community; **(f) Utilization of other Federal agencies** with the consent of the agency concerned, utilize or employ the services or personnel of any Government agency or any State or local government, or voluntary or uncompensated personnel, to perform such functions on its behalf as may appear desirable; **(g) Acquisition of real and personal property** acquire, purchase, lease, and hold real and personal property, including patents, as agent of and on behalf of the United States, subject to the provisions of [section 2224 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2224&num=0&edition=prelim), and to sell, lease, grant, and dispose of such real and personal property as provided in this chapter; **(h) Consideration of license applications** consider in a single application one or more of the activities for which a license is required by this chapter, combine in a single license one or more of such activities, and permit the applicant or licensee to incorporate by reference pertinent information already filed with the Commission; **(i) Regulations governing Restricted Data** prescribe such regulations or orders as it may deem necessary (1) to protect Restricted Data received by any person in connection with any activity authorized pursuant to this chapter, (2) to guard against the loss or diversion of any special nuclear material acquired by any person pursuant to [section 2073 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2073&num=0&edition=prelim) or produced by any person in connection with any activity authorized pursuant to this chapter, to prevent any use or disposition thereof which the Commission may determine to be inimical to the common defense and security, including regulations or orders designating activities, involving quantities of special nuclear material which in the opinion of the Commission are important to the common defense and security, that may be conducted only by persons whose character, associations, and loyalty shall have been investigated under standards and specifications established by the Commission and as to whom the Commission shall have determined that permitting each such person to conduct the activity will not be inimical to the common defense and security, (3) to govern any activity authorized pursuant to this chapter, including standards and restrictions governing the design, location, and operation of facilities used in the conduct of such activity, in order to protect health and to minimize danger to life or property, and (4) to ensure that sufficient funds will be available for the decommissioning of any production or utilization facility licensed under section 2133 or 2134(b) of this title, including standards and restrictions governing the control, maintenance, use, and disbursement by any former licensee under this chapter that has control over any fund for the decommissioning of the facility; **(j) Disposition of surplus materials** without regard to the provisions of chapters 1 to 11 (except section 559) of title 40 and division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41, or any other law, make such disposition as it may deem desirable of (1) radioactive materials, and (2) any other property, the special disposition of which is, in the opinion of the Commission, in the interest of the national security: Provided, however, That the property furnished to licensees in accordance with the provisions of subsection (m) shall not be deemed to be property disposed of by the Commission pursuant to this subsection; **(k) Carrying of firearms; authority to make arrests without warrant** authorize such of its members, officers, and employees as it deems necessary in the interest of the common defense and security to carry firearms while in the discharge of their official duties. The Commission may also authorize such of those employees of its contractors and subcontractors (at any tier) engaged in the protection of property under the jurisdiction of the United States located at facilities owned by or contracted to the United States or being transported to or from such facilities as it deems necessary in the interests of the common defense and security to carry firearms while in the discharge of their official duties. A person authorized to carry firearms under this subsection may, while in the performance of, and in connection with, official duties, make arrests without warrant for any offense against the United States committed in that person’s presence or for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States if that person has reasonable ground to believe that the individual to be arrested has committed or is committing such felony. An employee of a contractor or subcontractor authorized to carry firearms under this subsection may make such arrests only when the individual to be arrested is within, or in direct flight from, the area of such offense. A person granted authority to make arrests by this subsection may exercise that authority only in the enforcement of (1) laws regarding the property of the United States in the custody of the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or a contractor of the Department of Energy or Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or (2) any provision of this chapter that may subject an offender to a fine, imprisonment, or both. The arrest authority conferred by this subsection is in addition to any arrest authority under other laws. The Secretary, with the approval of the Attorney General, shall issue guidelines to implement this subsection; **(l) Repealed. Pub. L. 87–456, title III, § 303(c), May 24, 1962, 76 Stat. 78** **(m) Agreements regarding production** enter into agreements with persons licensed under section 2133, 2134, 2073(a)(4), or 2093(a)(4) of this title for such periods of time as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable (1) to provide for the processing, fabricating, separating, or refining in facilities owned by the Commission of source, byproduct, or other material or special nuclear material owned by or made available to such licensees and which is utilized or produced in the conduct of the licensed activity, and (2) to sell, lease, or otherwise make available to such licensees such quantities of source or byproduct material, and other material not defined as special nuclear material pursuant to this chapter, as may be necessary for the conduct of the licensed activity: Provided, however, That any such agreement may be canceled by the licensee at any time upon payment of such reasonable cancellation charges as may be agreed upon by the licensee and the Commission: And provided further, That the Commission shall establish prices to be paid by licensees for material or services to be furnished by the Commission pursuant to this subsection, which prices shall be established on such a nondiscriminatory basis as, in the opinion of the Commission, will provide reasonable compensation to the Government for such material or services and will not discourage the development of sources of supply independent of the Commission; **(n) Delegation of functions** delegate to the General Manager or other officers of the Commission any of those functions assigned to it under this chapter except those specified in sections 2071, 2077(b) (with respect to enrichment and reprocessing of special nuclear material or with respect to transfers to any covered foreign country (as defined in [section 2077a of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2077a&num=0&edition=prelim))), 2091, 2138, 2153, 2165(b) of this title (with respect to the determination of those persons to whom the Commission may reveal Restricted Data in the national interest), 2165(f) of this title and subsection (a) of this section; **(o) Reports** require by rule, regulation, or order, such reports, and the keeping of such records with respect to, and to provide for such inspections of, activities and studies of types specified in [section 2051 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2051&num=0&edition=prelim) and of activities under licenses issued pursuant to sections 2073, 2093, 2111, 2133, and 2134 of this title, as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter, including [section 2135 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2135&num=0&edition=prelim); and **(p) Rules and regulations** make, promulgate, issue, rescind, and amend such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. **(q) Easements for rights-of-way** The Commission is authorized and empowered, under such terms and conditions as are deemed advisable by it, to grant easements for rights-of-way over, across, in, and upon acquired lands under its jurisdiction and control, and public lands permanently withdrawn or reserved for the use of the Commission, to any State, political subdivision thereof, or municipality, or to any individual, partnership, or corporation of any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, for (a) railroad tracks; (b) oil pipe lines; (c) substations for electric power transmission lines, telephone lines, and telegraph lines, and pumping stations for gas, water, sewer, and oil pipe lines; (d) canals; (e) ditches; (f) flumes; (g) tunnels; (h) dams and reservoirs in connection with fish and wildlife programs, fish hatcheries, and other fish-cultural improvements; (i) roads and streets; and (j) for any other purpose or purposes deemed advisable by the Commission: Provided, That such rights-of-way shall be granted only upon a finding by the Commission that the same will not be incompatible with the public interest: Provided further, That such rights-of-way shall not include any more land than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which granted: And provided further, That all or any part of such rights-of-way may be annulled and forfeited by the Commission for failure to comply with the terms and conditions of any grant hereunder or for nonuse for a period of two consecutive years or abandonment of rights granted under authority hereof. Copies of all instruments granting easements over public lands pursuant to this section shall be furnished to the Secretary of the Interior. **(r) Sale of utilities and related services** Under such regulations and for such periods and at such prices the Commission may prescribe, the Commission may sell or contract to sell to purchasers within Commission-owned communities or in the immediate vicinity of the Commission community, as the case may be, any of the following utilities and related services, if it is determined that they are not available from another local source and that the sale is in the interest of the national defense or in the public interest: (1) Electric power. (2) Steam. (3) Compressed air. (4) Water. (5) Sewage and garbage disposal. (6) Natural, manufactured, or mixed gas. (7) Ice. (8) Mechanical refrigeration. (9) Telephone service. Proceeds of sales under this subsection shall be credited to the appropriation currently available for the supply of that utility or service. To meet local needs the Commission may make minor expansions and extensions of any distributing system or facility within or in the immediate vicinity of a Commission-owned community through which a utility or service is furnished under this subsection. **(s) Succession of authority** establish a plan for a succession of authority which will assure the continuity of direction of the Commission’s operations in the event of a national disaster due to enemy activity. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the person or persons succeeding to command in the event of disaster in accordance with the plan established pursuant to this subsection shall be vested with all of the authority of the Commission: Provided, That any such succession to authority, and vesting of authority shall be effective only in the event and as long as a quorum of three or more members of the Commission is unable to convene and exercise direction during the disaster period: Provided further, That the disaster period includes the period when attack on the United States is imminent and the post-attack period necessary to reestablish normal lines of command; **(t) Contracts** enter into contracts for the processing, fabricating, separating, or refining in facilities owned by the Commission of source, byproduct or other material, or special nuclear material, in accordance with and within the period of an agreement for cooperation while comparable services are available to persons licensed under section 2133 or 2134 of this title: Provided, That the prices for services under such contracts shall be no less than the prices currently charged by the Commission pursuant to subsection (m); **(u) Additional contracts; guiding principles; appropriations** (1) enter into contracts for such periods of time as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable, but not to exceed five years from the date of execution of the contract, for the purchase or acquisition of reactor services or services related to or required by the operation of reactors; (2) (A) enter into contracts for such periods of time as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable for the purchase or acquisition of any supplies, equipment, materials, or services required by the Commission whenever the Commission determines that: (i) it is advantageous to the Government to make such purchase or acquisition from commercial sources; (ii) the furnishing of such supplies, equipment, materials, or services will require the construction or acquisition of special facilities by the vendors or suppliers thereof; (iii) the amortization chargeable to the Commission constitutes an appreciable portion of the cost of contract performance, excluding cost of materials; and (iv) the contract for such period is more advantageous to the Government than a similar contract not executed under the authority of this subsection. Such contracts shall be entered into for periods not to exceed five years each from the date of initial delivery of such supplies, equipment, materials, or services or ten years from the date of execution of the contracts excluding periods of renewal under option. (B) In entering into such contracts the Commission shall be guided by the following principles: (i) the percentage of the total cost of special facilities devoted to contract performance and chargeable to the Commission should not exceed the ratio between the period of contract deliveries and the anticipated useful life of such special facilities; (ii) the desirability of obtaining options to renew the contract for reasonable periods at prices not to include charges for special facilities already amortized; and (iii) the desirability of reserving in the Commission the right to take title to the special facilities under appropriate circumstances; and (3) include in contracts made under this subsection provisions which limit the obligation of funds to estimated annual deliveries and services and the unamortized balance of such amounts due for special facilities as the parties shall agree is chargeable to the performance of the contract. Any appropriation available at the time of termination or thereafter made available to the Commission for operating expenses shall be available for payment of such costs which may arise from termination as the contract may provide. The term “special facilities” as used in this subsection means any land and any depreciable buildings, structures, utilities, machinery, equipment, and fixtures necessary for the production or furnishing of such supplies, equipment, materials, or services and not available to the vendors or suppliers for the performance of the contract. **(v) Support of United States Enrichment Corporation** provide services in support of the United States Enrichment Corporation, except that the Secretary of Energy shall annually collect payments and other charges from the Corporation sufficient to ensure recovery of the costs (excluding depreciation and imputed interest on original plant investments in the Department’s gaseous diffusion plants and costs under section 2297c–2(d) 22 See References in Text note below. of this title) incurred by the Department of Energy after October 24, 1992, in performing such services; **(w) License fees for nuclear power reactors** prescribe and collect from any other Government agency, which applies to the Commission for, or is issued by the Commission, a license or certificate, any fee, charge, or price which it may require, in accordance with the provisions of [section 9701 of title 31](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title31-section9701&num=0&edition=prelim) or any other law. **(x) Standards and instructions for bonding, surety, or other financial arrangements, including performance bonds** Establish by rule, regulation, or order, after public notice, and in accordance with the requirements of [section 2231 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2231&num=0&edition=prelim), such standards and instructions as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable to ensure— (1) that an adequate bond, surety, or other financial arrangement (as determined by the Commission) will be provided, before termination of any license for byproduct material as defined in [section 2014(e)(2) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2014/e/2&num=0&edition=prelim), by a licensee to permit the completion of all requirements established by the Commission for the decontamination, decommissioning, and reclamation of sites, structures, and equipment used in conjunction with byproduct material as so defined, and (2) that— (A) in the case of any such license issued or renewed after November 8, 1978, the need for long-term maintenance and monitoring of such sites, structures and equipment after termination of such license will be minimized and, to the maximum extent practicable, eliminated; and (B) in the case of each license for such material (whether in effect on November 8, 1978, or issued or renewed thereafter), if the Commission determines that any such long-term maintenance and monitoring is necessary, the licensee, before termination of any license for byproduct material as defined in [section 2014(e)(2) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2014/e/2&num=0&edition=prelim), will make available such bonding, surety, or other financial arrangements as may be necessary to assure such long-term maintenance and monitoring. Such standards and instructions promulgated by the Commission pursuant to this subsection shall take into account, as determined by the Commission, so as to avoid unnecessary duplication and expense, performance bonds or other financial arrangements which are required by other Federal agencies or State agencies and/or other local governing bodies for such decommissioning, decontamination, and reclamation and long-term maintenance and monitoring except that nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require that the Commission accept such bonds or arrangements if the Commission determines that such bonds or arrangements are not adequate to carry out subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection.