,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #decj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #aa1 #bjbc,mr4 
,levin introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,energy and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
establish an ,office of ,public         
,engagement and ,participation within   
the ,nuclear ,regulatory ,commission1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,,nrc ,office of ,public ,engagement and
 ,participation ,act of #bjbc4  #b4     
,office of ,public ,engagement and      
,participation  7a7 ,establishment      
,there is established in the ,commission
 an office to be known as the ,office of
 ,public ,engagement and ,participation4
  7b7 ,director  7#a7 ,in general ,the  
,office shall be administered by a      
,director4  7#b7 ,appointment ,subject  
to the approval of the ,commission1 the 
,chairman shall appoint the ,director4  
7#c7 ,term ,subject to paragraph 7#g71  
the ,director shall serve for-- 7,a7 a  

term of five years2 and  7,b7 no more   
than two terms4  7#d7 ,duties ,the      
,director--  7,a7 shall be responsible  
for the discharge of the functions of   
the ,office2 and  7,b7 may appoint1 and 
assign the duties of1 staff of the      
,office as necessary to carry out the   
functions of the ,office4  7#e7         
,compensation ,the ,director shall be   
compensated at a rate of pay not greater
 than the maximum rate of pay prescribed
 for a senior executive in the ,senior  
,executive ,service under section #echb 
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4     
7#f7 ,removal  7,a7 ,in general ,subject
 to the approval of the ,commission to  
initiate an action1 the ,chairman or a  
member of the ,commission may initiate  
an action for removal of the ,director4 
7,b7 ,removal limitations ,the          
,commission may remove the ,director for
 inefficiency1 neglect of duty1 or      
malfeasance in office but for no other  
cause4  7#g7 ,expiration of term ,a     
,director may continue to serve after   

the expiration of the term of such      
,director until a successor is          
appointed4  7c7 ,functions of the       
,office  7#a7 ,in general ,the functions
 of the ,office shall be to-- 7,a7      
support public participation in         
proceedings before the ,commission2     
7,b7 advocate for the public interest   
within the jurisdiction of the          
,commission2  7,c7 provide educational1 
legal1 and technical guidance and       
assistance to members of the public with
 respect to participating in proceedings
 before the ,commission1 including      
guidance on submitting comments1        
contentions1 and hearing requests2  7,d7
 coordinate assistance available to     
persons participating or proposing to   
participate in proceedings before the   
,commission2 and  7,e7 coordinate       
assistance to the public with respect to
 authorities exercised by the           
,commission4  7#b7 ,compensation of fees
 ,notwithstanding section #ejb of the   
,energy and ,water ,development         

,appropriations ,act1 #aiic 7#e         
,u4,s4,c4 #ejd note2 ,public ,law       
#ajb-cgg71 the ,commission may1 under   
rules promulgated by the ,commission1   
provide compensation for reasonable     
attorney's fees1 expert witness fees1   
and other costs of participating in any 
proceeding before the ,commission to any
 person whose participation             
substantially contributed to the        
approval1 in whole or in part1 of a     
position advocated by such person1 if   
the ,commission determines that-- 7,a7  
the proceeding is significant2 and  7,b7
 the participation of such person in    
such proceeding without receipt of      
compensation constitutes a significant  
financial hardship to such person4  7d7 
,independent ,office ,the ,chairman     
shall take appropriate actions to ensure
 the independence of the ,office within 
the ,commission1 including independence 
from other officers and employees of the
 ,commission4  7e7 ,annual report  7#a7 
,in general ,not later than one year    

after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 and annually thereafter1 the      
,director shall submit to ,congress a   
report on the activities of the ,office4
  7#b7 ,requirements ,each report under 
paragraph 7#a7 shall include--  7,a7 the
 number and types of requests for       
assistance received by the ,office      
during the preceding year2 and  7,b7 an 
assessment of the most common           
difficulties encountered by members of  
the public with participating or        
proposing to participate in proceedings 
before the ,commission in the preceding 
year4  7f7 ,no effect on existing public
 engagement standards ,nothing in this  
,act shall be interpreted as reducing   
the standards for the ,commission to    
engage the public in any proceedings or 
decisions4  7g7 ,definitions ,in this   
section3  7#a7 ,chairman ,the term      
,chairman means the ,chairman of the    
,commission4  7#b7 ,commission ,the term
 ,commission means the ,nuclear         
,regulatory ,commission4  7#c7 ,office  

,the term ,office means the ,office of  
,public ,engagement and ,participation  
established under subsection 7a74