View source for Energy Reorganization Act of 1974

{{More footnotes needed|date=December 2024}}{{Infobox U.S. legislation
| shorttitle        = Energy Reorganization Act of 1974
| othershorttitles  =
| longtitle         = An Act to reorganize and consolidate certain functions of the Federal Government in a new Energy Research and Development Administration and in a new Nuclear Regulatory Commission in order to promote more efficient management of such functions.
| colloquialacronym = 
| nickname          = Energy Research Reorganization Act
| enacted by        = 93rd
| effective date    = October 11, 1974
| public law url    = http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-88/pdf/STATUTE-88-Pg1233.pdf
| cite public law   = 93-438
| cite statutes at large = {{usstat|88|1233}}
| acts amended    = 
| acts repealed   = 
| title amended   = [[Title 42 of the United States Code|42 U.S.C.: Public Health and Social Welfare]]
| sections created =  {{Usc-title-chap|42|73}} § 5801 et seq.
| sections amended = 
| leghisturl      = http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d093:HR11510:@@@R
| introducedin    = House
| introducedbill  = {{USBill|93|H.R.|11510}}
| introducedby    = [[Chester E. Holifield]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]–[[California|CA]])
| introduceddate  = November 15, 1973
| committees      = [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Government Operations]], [[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs|Senate Government Operations]]
| passedbody1     = House
| passeddate1     = December 19, 1973
| passedvote1     = [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/93-1973/h525 355-25]
| passedbody2     = Senate
| passedas2       = <!-- used if the second body changes the name of the legislation -->
| passeddate2     = August 15, 1974
| passedvote2     = passed, in lieu of {{USBill|93|S.|2744}}
| conferencedate  = October 8, 1974
| passedbody3     = House
| passeddate3     = October 9, 1974
| passedvote3     = [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/93-1974/h976 372-1]
| agreedbody3     = <!-- used when the other body agrees without going into committee -->
| agreeddate3     = <!-- used when the other body agrees without going into committee -->
| agreedvote3     = <!-- used when the other body agrees without going into committee -->
| agreedbody4     = <!-- used if agreedbody3 further amends legislation -->
| agreeddate4     = <!-- used if agreedbody3 further amends legislation -->
| agreedvote4     = <!-- used if agreedbody3 further amends legislation -->
| passedbody4     = Senate
| passeddate4     = October 10, 1974
| passedvote4     = agreed
| signedpresident = [[Gerald R. Ford]]
| signeddate      = October 11, 1974
| unsignedpresident = <!-- used when passed without presidential signing -->
| unsigneddate    = <!-- used when passed without presidential signing -->
| vetoedpresident = <!-- used when passed by overriding presidential veto -->
| vetoeddate      = <!-- used when passed by overriding presidential veto -->
| overriddenbody1 = <!-- used when passed by overriding presidential veto -->
| overriddendate1 = <!-- used when passed by overriding presidential veto -->
| overriddenvote1 = <!-- used when passed by overriding presidential veto -->
| overriddenbody2 = <!-- used when passed by overriding presidential veto -->
| overriddendate2 = <!-- used when passed by overriding presidential veto -->
| overriddenvote2 = <!-- used when passed by overriding presidential veto -->
| amendments      = 
| SCOTUS cases    = 
}}
The '''Energy Reorganization Act of 1974''' ({{USStatute|93|438|88|1233|1974|10|11}}, codified at 42 U.S.C.A. § 5801) is a [[United States federal law]] that established the [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]]. Under the [[Atomic Energy Act of 1954]], a single agency, the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|U.S. Atomic Energy Commission]], had responsibility for the development and production of nuclear weapons and for both the development and the [[Nuclear safety|safety regulation]] of the civilian uses of nuclear materials. The Act of 1974 split these functions, assigning to the [[Energy Research and Development Administration]] (now the [[United States Department of Energy]]) the responsibility for the development and production of nuclear weapons, promotion of nuclear power, and other energy-related work, and assigning to the NRC the regulatory work, which does not include regulation of defense nuclear facilities. The Act of 1974 gave the Commission its collegial structure and established its major offices.

A later amendment to the Act also provided protections for employees, and [[whistleblowers]], who raise [[nuclear safety]] concerns. Whistleblowers who believe they suffered retaliation for their protected activities have to file a written complaint with the [[United States Department of Labor]] (DOL) within 180 days of the first notice of the adverse action. The whistleblowers would later have a choice to have their claim heard by a DOL administrative law judge or to file a lawsuit in court and seek a trial to a judge or jury.

== Provisions of the act ==
The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 provided several policy elements regarding the Atomic Energy Commission and Nuclear Energy research.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Governing Legislation |url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/governing-laws.html |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=NRC Web |language=en-US}}</ref>

'''Creation of the NRC:'''

* Established the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as an independent agency responsible for regulating civilian nuclear power plants and materials.

=== Division of responsibilities ===

* Split the Atomic Energy Commission's functions, assigning nuclear weapons development to the Department of Defense and civilian nuclear power regulation to the NRC.

=== Employee protection ===

* Included provisions protecting employees who raise concerns about nuclear safety from retaliation, known as "whistleblower protection".

=== Research and development focus ===

* Created the Energy Research and Development Administration to focus on research and development of various energy sources, including fossil fuels and nuclear power.

== See also ==

* [[Atomic Energy Act of 1946]]
* [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]]
* [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978#See also|Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978]]
* [[Atomic Energy Act of 1954]]
* [[Energy Research and Development Administration]]
* [[United States Department of Energy]]
* [[Nuclear power]]

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
* [https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-1634/uslm/COMPS-1634.xml Energy Reorganization Act of 1974] as amended ([https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-1634/pdf/COMPS-1634.pdf PDF]/[https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/COMPS-1634 details]) in the [[United States Government Publishing Office|GPO]] [https://www.govinfo.gov/help/comps Statute Compilations collection]
*[https://www.nrc.gov/who-we-are/governing-laws.html Information from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission]
* [http://www.peer.org Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)]
* [http://www.whistleblower.org Government Accountability Project]
* [http://www.pogo.org Project On Government Oversight (POGO)]
* [http://www.whistleblowers.org/ National Whistleblower Center]
* [http://www.workplacefairness.org/envwhistleblowers Workplace Fairness FAQ for environmental whistleblowers]
* [http://www.taterenner.com/whistleblowers.htm Tate & Renner article on whistleblowers under U.S. federal law]
* [http://www.whistleblowerlaws.com Whistleblower Employee Protection Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070318035047/http://www.osha.gov/dep/oia/whistleblower/index.html U.S. Department of Labor Whistleblower Program & information]
* [https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-11814-activation-the-energy-resources-council Executive Order 11814—Activation of the Energy Resources Council]

{{Presidency of Gerald Ford}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1974 in law]]
[[Category:93rd United States Congress]]
[[Category:Nuclear Regulatory Commission]]
[[Category:United States federal energy legislation]]
[[Category:United States federal environmental legislation]]
[[Category:United States federal government administration legislation]]
[[Category:1974 in the environment]]