Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3653 - Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 1986

(House)
(Rep. Udall (R) Arizona)

While the Administration supports the extension of Price-Anderson nuclear liability insurance, it opposes enactment of H.R. 3653 unless the bill is amended to:

— delete the provision allowing the Department of Energy to be sued as if it were a contractor where a claim arises from the physical handling of radioactive nuclear waste by an Energy employee. By stripping the United States of the protection of the Federal Tort Claims Act, this provision would allow the Government to be sued for discretionary policy decisions, undermining the long-standing policy that no plaintiff suing the U.S. should receive preferential treatment;

— retain the current 20-years-from-date-of-occurrence statute of limitation; and

— lower the liability limit of $6.5 billion by about one-half.

If H.R. 3653 is not amended as described, the President's senior advisors would recommend disapproval.