Atomic Energy Act of 1954

{{Short description|United States federal law that covers nuclear materials and facilities}}

{{Infobox U.S. legislation

| name = Atomic Energy Act of 1954

| fullname = An Act to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, as amended, and for other purposes.

| acronym =

| nickname =

| enacted by = 83rd

| effective date = August 30, 1954

| public law url = http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-68/pdf/STATUTE-68-Pg919.pdf

| cite public law = 83-703

| cite statutes at large = {{USStat|68|919}}

| acts amended = Atomic Energy Act of 1946

| title amended = 42 U.S.C.: Public Health and Social Welfare

| sections created =

| sections amended = {{Usc-title-chap|42|14}}

| leghisturl =

| introducedin = House

| introducedbill = {{USBill|83|H.R.|9757}}

| introducedby = William S. Cole (R-NY)

| introduceddate = June 30, 1954

| committees =

| passedbody1 = House

| passeddate1 = July 26, 1954

| passedvote1 = [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/83-1954/h126 231–154]

| passedbody2 = Senate

| passeddate2 = July 27, 1954

| passedvote2 = [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/83-1954/s206 57–28], in lieu of {{USBill|83|S|3690}}

| conferencedate = August ?, 1954

| passedbody3 = Senate

| passeddate3 = August 17, 1954

| passedvote3 = [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/83-1954/s245 59–17]

| passedbody4 = House

| passeddate4 = August ?, 1954

| passedvote4 = without recorded vote

| signedpresident = Dwight D. Eisenhower

| signeddate = August 30, 1954

| amendments =

| SCOTUS cases = {{ubl|Power Reactor Co. v. Electricians, {{ussc|367|396|1961}}|Train v. Colorado Public Interest Research Group, Inc., {{ussc|426|1|1976}}|Pacific Gas & Elec. Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Comm'n, {{ussc|461|190|1983}}|Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee Corp., {{ussc|464|238|1984}}|Huffman v. Western Nuclear, Inc., {{ussc|486|663|1988}}|English v. General Elec. Co., {{ussc|496|72|1990}}|Virginia Uranium, Inc. v. Warren, {{ussc|docket=16-1275|volume=587|year=2019}}}}

}}

Image:EisenhowerAtomicEnergyAct.jpg signs the bill in an official signing ceremony.]]

The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2011–2021, 2022-2286i, 2296a-2297h-13, is a United States federal law that covers for the development, regulation, and disposal of nuclear materials and facilities in the United States.

It was an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 and substantially refined certain aspects of the law, including increased support for the possibility of a civilian nuclear industry. Notably, it made it possible for the government to allow private companies to gain technical information (Restricted Data) about nuclear energy production and the production of fissile materials, allowing for greater exchange of information with foreign nations as part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace program, and reversed certain provisions in the 1946 law which had made it impossible to patent processes for generating nuclear energy or fissile materials.

The H.R. 9757 legislation was passed by the 83rd U.S. Congressional session and signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower on August 30, 1954.{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/4728402.1954.001.umich.edu/page/776/ |title=Dwight D. Eisenhower: "Statement by the President Upon Signing the Atomic Energy Act of 1954" August 30, 1954 |date=August 30, 1954 |website=Internet Archive |publisher=U.S. National Archives and Records |pages=776–777}}{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/83rd-congress/house-bill/9757 |title=H.R. 9757 - Atomic Energy Act of 1954 |series=P.L. 83-703 ~ 68 Stat. 919 |date=30 August 1954 |publisher=Congress.gov}}

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission described the Atomic Energy Act as, "the fundamental U.S. law on both the civilian and the military uses of nuclear materials."{{cite web |url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/governing-laws.html#aea-1954 |title=NRC: Our Governing Legislation: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as Amended in NUREG-0980 |publisher=U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission |access-date=April 7, 2006}}