Legislative Hearings

10 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart O
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

10 C.F.R. § 2.1500 Purpose and scope.

The purpose of this subpart is to provide for simplified, legislative hearing procedures to be used, at the Commission's sole discretion, in: (a) Any design certification rulemaking hearings under subpart B of part 52 of this chapter that the Commission may choose to conduct; and (b) Developing a record to assist the Commission in resolving, under § 2.335(d), a petition filed under § 2.335(b).

10 C.F.R. § 2.1501 Definitions.

Demonstrative information means physical things, not constituting documentary information. Documentary information means information, ordinarily contained in documents or electronic files, but may also include photographs and digital audio files.

10 C.F.R. § 2.1502 Commission decision to hold legislative hearing.

(a) The Commission may, in its discretion, hold a legislative hearing in either a design certification rulemaking under § 52.51(b) of this chapter, or a proceeding where a question has been certified to it under § 2.335(d). (b) Notice of Commission decision—(1) Hearing in design certification rulemakings. If, at the time a proposed design certification rule is published in the Federal Register under § 52.51(a) of this chapter, the Commission decides that a legislative hearing should be held, the information required by paragraph (c) of this section must be included in the Federal Register notice for the proposed design certification rule. If, following the submission of written public comments submitted on the proposed design certification rule which are submitted in accordance with § 52.51(a) of this chapter, the Commission decides to conduct a legislative hearing, the Commission shall publish a notice in the Federal Register and on the NRC Web site indicating its determination to conduct a legislative hearing. The notice shall contain the information specified in paragraph (c) of this section, and specify whether the Commission or a presiding officer will conduct the legislative hearing. (2) Hearings under § 2.335(d). If, following a certification of a question to the Commission by a Licensing Board under § 2.335(d), the Commission decides to hold a legislative hearing to assist it in resolving the certified question, the Commission shall issue an order containing the information required by paragraph (c) of this section. The Commission shall serve the order on all parties in the proceeding. In addition, if the Commission decides that persons and entities other than those identified in paragraph (c)(2) may request to participate in the legislative hearing, the Commission shall publish a notice of its determination to hold a legislative hearing in the Federal Register and on the NRC Web site. The notice shall contain the information specified in paragraph (c) of this section, and refer to the criteria in § 2.1504 which will be used in determining requests to participate in the legislative hearing. (c) If the Commission decides to hold a legislative hearing, it shall, in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section: (1) Identify with specificity the issues on which it wishes to compile a record; (2) Identify, in a hearing associated with a question certified to the Commission under § 2.335(d), the parties and interested State(s), governmental bodies, and Federally-recognized Indian Tribe under § 2.315(c), who may participate in the legislative hearing; (3) Identify persons and entities that may, in the discretion of the Commission, be invited to participate in the legislative hearing; (4) Indicate whether other persons and entities may request, in accordance with § 2.1504, to participate in the legislative hearing, and the criteria that the Commission or presiding officer will use in determining whether to permit such participation; (5) Indicate whether the Commission or a presiding officer will conduct the legislative hearing; (6) Specify any special procedures to be used in the legislative hearing; (7) Set the dates for submission of requests to participate in the legislative hearing, submission of written statements and demonstrative and documentary information, and commencement of the oral hearing; and (8) Specify the location where the oral hearing is to be held. Ordinarily, oral hearings will be held in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

10 C.F.R. § 2.1503 Authority of presiding officer.

If the Commission appoints a presiding officer to conduct the legislative hearing, the presiding officer shall be responsible for expeditious development of a sufficient record on the Commission-identified issues, consistent with the direction provided by the Commission under § 2.1502(c). The presiding officer has the authority otherwise accorded to it under §§ 2.319(a), (c), (e), (g), (h), and (i), 2.324, and 2.333 to control the course of the proceeding, and may exercise any other authority granted to it by the Commission in accordance with § 2.1502(c)(6).

10 C.F.R. § 2.1504 Request to participate in legislative hearing.

(a) Any person or entity who wishes to participate in a legislative hearing noticed under either § 2.1502(b)(1) or (b)(2) shall submit a request to participate by the date specified in the notice. The request must address: (1) A summary of the person's position on the subject matter of the legislative hearing; and (2) The specific information, expertise or experience that the person possesses with respect to the subject matter of the legislative hearing. (b) The Commission or presiding officer shall, within ten (10) days of the date specified for submission of requests to participate, determine whether the person or entity has met the criteria specified by the Commission under § 2.1502(c)(4) for determining requests to participate in the legislative hearing, and issue an order to that person or entity informing them of the presiding officer's decision. A presiding officer's determinations in this regard are final and not subject to any motion for reconsideration or appeal to the Commission; and the Commission's determination in this regard are final and are not subject to a motion for reconsideration.

10 C.F.R. § 2.1505 Role of the NRC staff.

The NRC staff shall be available to answer any Commission or presiding officer's questions on staff-prepared documents, provide additional information or documentation that may be available to the staff, and provide other assistance that the Commission or presiding officer may request without requiring the NRC staff to assume the role of an advocate. The NRC staff may request to participate in the legislative hearing by providing notice to the Commission or presiding officer, as applicable, within the time period established for submitting a request to participate; or if no notice is provided under § 2.1502(b)(2), within ten (10) days of the Commission's order announcing its determination to conduct a legislative hearing.

10 C.F.R. § 2.1506 Written statements and submission of information.

All participants shall file written statements on the Commission-identified issues, and may submit documentary and demonstrative information. Written statements, copies of documentary information, and a list and short description of any demonstrative information to be submitted must be received by the NRC (and in a hearing on issues stemming from a § 2.335(b) petition, by the parties in the proceeding in which the petition was filed) no later than ten (10) days before the commencement of the oral hearing.

10 C.F.R. § 2.1507 Oral hearing.

(a) Not less than five (5) days before the commencement of the oral hearing, the presiding officer shall issue an order setting forth the grouping and order of appearance of the witnesses at the oral hearing. The order shall be filed upon all participants by email or facsimile transmission if possible, otherwise by overnight mail. (b) The Commission or presiding officer may question witnesses. Neither the Commission nor the presiding officer will ordinarily permit participants to submit recommended questions for the Commission or presiding officer to propound to witnesses. However, if the Commission or presiding officer believe that the conduct of the oral hearing will be expedited and that consideration of such proposed questions will assist in developing a more focused hearing record, the Commission or presiding officer may, in its discretion, permit the participants to submit recommended questions for the Commission or presiding officer's consideration. (c) The Commission or presiding officer may request, or upon request of a participant may, in the presiding officer's discretion, permit the submission of additional information following the close of the oral hearing. Such information must be submitted no later than five (5) days after the close of the oral hearing and must be served at the same time upon all participants at the oral hearing.

10 C.F.R. § 2.1508 Recommendation of presiding officer.

(a) If the Commission is not acting as a presiding officer, the presiding officer shall, within thirty (30) days following the close of the legislative hearing record, certify the record to the Commission on each of the issues identified by the Commission. (b) The presiding officer's certification for each Commission-identified issue shall contain: (1) A transcript of the oral phase of the legislative hearing; (2) A list of all participants; (3) A list of all witnesses at the oral hearing, and their affiliation with a participant; (4) A list, and copies of, all documentary information submitted by the participants with ADAMS accession numbers; (5) All demonstrative information submitted by the participants; (6) Any written answers submitted by the NRC staff in response to questions posed by the presiding officer with ADAMS accession numbers; (7) A certification that all documentary information has been entered into ADAMS, and have been placed on the NRC Web site unless otherwise protected from public disclosure; (8) A certification by the presiding officer that the record contains sufficient information for the Commission to make a reasoned determination on the Commission-identified issue; and (9) At the option of the presiding officer, a summary of the information in the record and a proposed resolution of the Commission-identified issue with a supporting basis.

10 C.F.R. § 2.1509 Ex parte communications and separation of functions.

Section 2.347 applies in a legislative hearing. Section 2.348 applies in a legislative hearing only where the hearing addresses an issue certified to the Commission under § 2.335(d), and then only with respect to the underlying contested matter.

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