[104th Congress Public Law 271]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ271.104]


[[Page 3303]]

                       HYDROGEN FUTURE ACT OF 1996

[[Page 110 STAT. 3304]]

Public Law 104-271
104th Congress

                                 An Act


 
   To authorize the hydrogen research, development, and demonstration 
          programs of the Department of Energy, and for other 
            purposes. <<NOTE: Oct. 9, 1996 -  [H.R. 4138]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Hydrogen Future 
Act of 1996.>> 

<<NOTE: 42 USC 12401 note.>> SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hydrogen Future Act of 1996''.

<<NOTE: 42 USC 7238 note.>> SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of titles II and III--
            (1) the term ``Department'' means the Department of Energy; 
        and
            (2) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy.

                            TITLE I--HYDROGEN

SEC. 101. PURPOSES AND DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Section 102(b)(1) of Public Law 101-566 (42 U.S.C. 12401(b)(1)) 
is amended to read as follows:
    ``(1) to direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a research, 
development, and demonstration program leading to the production, 
storage, transport, and use of hydrogen for industrial, residential, 
transportation, and utility applications;''.
    (b) Section 102(c) of Public Law 101-566 (42 U.S.C. 12401(c)) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (1) by striking ``; and'' inserting ``;'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (2) as subsection (3); and
            (3) by inserting before subsection (3) (as redesignated) the 
        following new subsection:

    ``(2) `Department' means the Department of Energy; and''.

SEC. 102. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Section 103 of Public Law 101-566 (42 U.S.C. 12402) is amended 
to read as follows:

``Sec. 103. Report to Congress

    ``(a) Not later than January 1, 1999, the Secretary shall 
transmit to Congress a detailed report on the status and progress of the 
programs authorized under this Act.
    ``(b) A report under subsection (a) shall include, in addition to 
any views and recommendations of the Secretary--
            ``(1) an analysis of the effectiveness of the programs 
        authorized under this chapter, to be prepared and submitted

[[Page 110 STAT. 3305]]

        to the Secretary by the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel 
        established under section 108 of this Act; and
            ``(2) recommendations of the Hydrogen Technical Advisory 
        Panel for any improvements in the program that are needed, 
        including recommendations for additional legislation.''.

    (b) Section 108(d) of Public Law 101-566 (42 U.S.C. 12407(d)) is 
amended--
            (1) by adding ``and'' at the end of paragraph (1);
            (2) by striking ``; and'' at the end of paragraph (2) and 
        inserting a period; and
            (3) by striking paragraph (3).

SEC. 103. HYDROGEN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Section 104 of Public Law 101-566 (42 U.S.C. 12403) is amended 
to read as follows:

``Sec. 104. Hydrogen research and development

    ``(a) The Secretary shall conduct a hydrogen research and 
development program relating to production, storage, transportation, and 
use of hydrogen, with the goal of enabling the private sector to 
demonstrate the technical feasibility of using hydrogen for industrial, 
residential, transportation, and utility applications.
    ``(b) In conducting the program authorized by this section, the 
Secretary shall--
            ``(1) give particular attention to developing an 
        understanding and resolution of critical technical issues 
        preventing the introduction of hydrogen into the marketplace;
            ``(2) initiate or accelerate existing research in critical 
        technical issues that will contribute to the development of more 
        economic hydrogen production and use, including, but not limited 
        to, critical technical issues with respect to production (giving 
        priority to those production techniques that use renewable 
        energy resources as their primary source of energy for hydrogen 
        production), liquefaction, transmission, distribution, storage, 
        and use (including use of hydrogen in surface transportation); 
        and
            ``(3) survey private sector hydrogen activities and take 
        steps to ensure that research and development activities under 
        this section do not displace or compete with the privately 
        funded hydrogen research and development activities of United 
        States industry.

    ``(c) The Secretary is authorized to evaluate any reasonable new or 
improved technology, including basic research on highly innovative 
energy technologies, that could lead or contribute to the development of 
economic hydrogen production, storage, and utilization.
    ``(d) The Secretary is authorized to evaluate any reasonable new or 
improved technology that could lead or contribute to, or demonstrate the 
use of, advanced renewable energy systems or hybrid systems for use in 
isolated communities that currently import diesel fuel as the primary 
fuel for electric power production.
    ``(e) The Secretary is authorized to arrange for tests and 
demonstrations and to disseminate to researchers and developers 
information, data, and other materials necessary to support the research 
and development activities authorized under this section and other 
efforts authorized under this chapter, consistent with section 106 of 
this Act.

[[Page 110 STAT. 3306]]

    ``(f) The Secretary shall carry out the research and development 
activities authorized under this section only through the funding of 
research and development proposals submitted by interested persons 
according to such procedures as the Secretary may require and evaluate 
on a competitive basis using peer review. Such
funding shall be in the form of a grant agreement, procurement contract, 
or cooperative agreement (as those terms are used in chapter 63 of title 
31, United States Code).

    ``(g) The Secretary shall not consider a proposal submitted by a 
person from industry unless the proposal contains a certification that 
reasonable efforts to obtain non-Federal funding for the entire cost of 
the project have been made, and that such non-Federal funding could not 
be reasonably obtained. As appropriate, the Secretary shall require a 
commitment from non-Federal sources of at least 50 percent of the cost 
of the development portion of such a proposal.
    ``(h) The Secretary shall not carry out any activities under this 
section that unnecessarily duplicate activities carried out elsewhere by 
the Federal Government or industry.
    ``(i) The Secretary shall establish, after consultation with other 
Federal agencies, terms and conditions under which Federal funding will 
be provided under this chapter that are consistent with the Agreement on 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures referred to in section 101(d)(12) 
of the Uruguay Round Agreement Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)(12)).''.
    (b)(1) Section 2026(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
13436(a)) is amended by striking ``, in accordance with 
sections 3001 and 3002 of this Act,''.
    (2) Effective October 1, 1998, section 2026 of the Energy Policy Act 
of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 13436) is repealed.

SEC. 104. DEMONSTRATIONS.

    Section 105 of Public Law 101-566 (42 U.S.C. 12404) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) The Secretary shall require a commitment from non-Federal 
sources of at least 50 percent of the cost of any demonstration 
conducted under this section.''.

SEC. 105. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.

    Section 106(b) of Public Law 101-566 (42 U.S.C. 12405(b)) is amended 
by adding to the end of the subsection the following:
``The Secretary shall also foster the exchange of generic, 
nonproprietary information and technology, developed pursuant to this 
chapter, among industry, academia, and the Federal Government, to help 
the United States economy attain the economic benefits of this 
information and technology.''.

SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 109 of Public Law 101-566 (42 U.S.C. 12408) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``to other Acts'' and inserting ``under 
        other Acts'';
            (2) by striking ``and'' from the end of paragraph (2);
            (3) by striking the period from the end of paragraph (3) and 
        inserting ``;''; and
            (4) by adding at the end of the section the following:
            ``(4) $14,500,000 for fiscal year 1996;
            ``(5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1997;

[[Page 110 STAT. 3307]]

            ``(6) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 1998;
            ``(7) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1999;
            ``(8) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2000; and
            ``(9) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2001.''.

<<NOTE: 42 USC 12403 note.>> TITLE II--FUEL CELLS

SEC. 201. INTEGRATION OF FUEL CELLS WITH HYDROGEN 
            PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.

    (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
section, and subject to the availability of appropriations made 
specifically for this section, the Secretary of Energy shall solicit 
proposals for projects to prove the feasibility of integrating fuel 
cells with--
            (1) photovoltaic systems for hydrogen production; or
            (2) systems for hydrogen production from solid waste via 
        gasification or steam reforming.

    (b) Each proposal submitted in response to the solicitation under 
this section shall be evaluated on a competitive gas is using peer 
review. The Secretary is not required to make an award under this 
section in the absence of a meritorious
proposals.

    (c) The Secretary shall give preference, in making an award under 
this section, to proposals that--
            (1) are submitted jointly from consortia including academic 
        institutions, industry, State or local governments, and Federal 
        laboratories; and
            (2) reflect proven experience and capability with 
        technologies relevant to the systems described in subsections 
        (a)(1) and (a)(2).

    (d) In the case of a proposal involving development or 
demonstration, the Secretary shall require a commitment from non-Federal 
sources of at least 50 percent of the cost of the development or 
demonstration portion of the proposal.
    (e) The Secretary shall establish, after consultation with other 
Federal agencies, terms and conditions under which Federal funding will 
be provided under this title that are consistent with the Agreement on 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures referred to in section 101(d)(12) 
of the Uruguay Round Agreement Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)(12)).

SEC. 202. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated, for activities under this 
section, a total of $50,000,000 for fiscal years 1997 and 1998, to 
remain available until September 30, 1999.

 <<NOTE: 42 USC 7238.>> TITLE III--DOE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PROGRAM 
QUALITY

SEC. 301. TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS FOR SCIENTIFIC AND 
            TECHNICAL EXPERTS IN DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 
            RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.

    (a) The Secretary, utilizing authority under other applicable law 
and the authority of this section, may appoint for a limited term, or on 
a temporary basis, scientists, engineers, and other technical and 
professional personnel on leave of 
absence from academic, industrial, or research institutions to work for 
the Department.

[[Page 110 STAT. 3308]]

    (b) The Department may pay, to the extent authorized for certain 
other Federal employees by section 5723 of title 5, United States Code, 
travel expenses for any individual appointed for a limited term or on a 
temporary basis and transportation expenses of his or her immediate 
family and his or her household goods and personal effects from that 
individual's residence at the time of selection or assignment to his or 
her duty station. The Department may pay such travel expenses to the 
same extent for such an individual's return to the former place of 
residence from his or her duty station, upon separation from the Federal 
service following an agreed period of service. The Department may also 
pay a per diem allowance at a rate not to exceed the daily amounts 
prescribed under section 5702 of title 5 to such an individual, in lieu 
of transportation expenses of the immediate family and household goods 
and personal effects, for the period of his or her employment with the 
Department. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the employer's 
contribution to any retirement, life insurance, or health benefit plan 
for an individual appointed for a term of one year or less, which could 
be extended for no more than one additional year, may be made or 
reimbursed from appropriations available to the Department.

    Approved October 9, 1996.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 4138:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 142 (1996):
            Sept. 26, considered and passed House.
            Sept. 28, considered and passed Senate.

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