1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to nuclear waste; requiring the commissioner 
  1.3             of public service to collect and hold in escrow funds 
  1.4             for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [NUCLEAR WASTE ESCROW ACCOUNT.] 
  1.7      Beginning July 1, 1997, the public utilities commission may 
  1.8   direct persons in Minnesota that are generating or holding title 
  1.9   to high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel and that 
  1.10  are subject to the fee specified under United States Code, title 
  1.11  42, section 10222, to remit the proceeds of that fee to the 
  1.12  commissioner of public service.  The commissioner shall place 
  1.13  all revenues collected from this fee into an interest-bearing 
  1.14  escrow account.  The commissioner shall release the funds in the 
  1.15  escrow account to the secretary of the federal Department of 
  1.16  Energy upon a showing by the secretary that a federal repository 
  1.17  for the long-term storage and permanent disposal of spent 
  1.18  nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste is operating and 
  1.19  currently accepting such materials. 
  1.20     This section is intended to enable the state of Minnesota 
  1.21  to adopt or implement any appropriate relief granted by a court 
  1.22  of competent jurisdiction for the United States Department of 
  1.23  Energy breach of its obligations to dispose of commercial spent 
  1.24  nuclear fuel not later than January 31, 1998. 
  1.25     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.1      Section 1 is effective July 1, 1997.