United States. Congress. Senate. Special Committee on Atomic Energy

This bill, introduced by Representative Emanuel Celler, of New York, was one of the bills introduced in the 79th Congress for the domestic development and control of atomic energy. The House of Representatives took no action on the bill.

From the description of Correspondence Relating to House Bill 5230, 79th Congress ("The Celler Bill"). Feb. 1946-June 1946. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122567147

Under the authority of Senate Resolution 179, 79th Congress, the committee compiled a monograph titled "Essential Information on Atomic Energy (Including a Glossary and Bibliography)" which was intended "to provide essential information about atomic energy and to furnish a factual basis for public discussions on this subject." The monograph was published as an appendix to "Senate Report" 1211, 79th Congress, 2nd session.

From the description of Monograph. 1946. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122457684

This bill, introduced by Senator Brien McMahon, of Connecticut, on December 20, 1945, eventually became the Atomic Energy Act of 1946.

From the description of Correspondence Relating to Senate Bill 1717, 79th Congress ("The McMahon Bill"). Dec. 1945-June 1946. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 86133902

This bill, introduced by Senator Edwin C. Johnson, of Colorado, and referred to the Special Committee on Atomic Energy, was another bill introduced in the 79th Congress for the domestic control and regulation of atomic energy. Representative Andrew J. May, of Kentucky, introduced the companion bill (H.R. 4280, 79th Cong.) in the House. The Senate took no action on Senate bill 1463.

From the description of Correspondence Relating to Senate Bill 1463, 79th Congress ("The May-Johnson Bill"). Oct 1945-May 1946. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122554308

Shortly after the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 had demonstrated that the large-scale release of atomic energy could be accomplished, bills and resolutions were introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives to meet the unprecedented problems arising from this revolutionary development of modern science. On October 3, 1945, the President sent a message to Congress urging the enactment of legislation formulating a national policy for the development and control of atomic energy. On October 9, 1945, Senator Brien McMahon submitted Senate Resolution 179, 79th Congress, which was agreed to by the Senate on October 22, 1945. The resolution provided in part:

"A special committee on atomic energy, to be composed of eleven Members of the Senate appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, of whom one shall be designated as chairman by the President pro tempore, is authorized and directed to make a full, complete, and continuing study and investigation with respect to problems relating to the development, use, and control of atomic energy. All bills and resolutions introduced in the Senate, and all bills and resolutions from the House of Representatives, proposing legislation relating to the development, use, and control of atomic energy shall be referred to the special committee. The special committee is authorized to report to the Senate at the earliest practicable date by bill or otherwise with recommendations upon any matters covered by this resolution. The existence of this committee shall terminate at the end of the Seventy-nine Congress."

On October 26, 1945, the President pro-tempore appointed Senators Brien Mc Mahon, Richard B. Russell, Edwin C. Johnson, Tom Connally, Harry F. Byrd, Millard E. Tydings, Arthur H. Vandenberg, Warren R. Austin, Eugene D. Millikin, Bourke B. Hickenlooper, and Thomas C. Hart as members of the Special Committee on Atomic Energy and designated Senator McMahon to be its chairman. Dr. Edward U. Condon became Scientific Adviser to the committee; James R. Newman, Special Counsel; Christopher T. Boland, Staff Director; and Sylvia R. Green, Editor.

The committee met in almost daily session from November 27, 1945, through April 8, 1946. It listened to upwards of a million words of testimony from scientists, engineers, military officials, Cabinet members, and other witnesses in public and executive hearings. From November 27 to December 20, 1945, the committee conducted public hearings of a general nature instead of considering specific legislation, in order that "the scientific background and the essential technical facts of atomic energy might be made known to the committee and to the public." Following the Christmas recess, the committee addressed itself to the task of framing legislation for the domestic development and regulation of atomic energy and conducted hearings in which every phase of the subject was examined. Commencing on January 22, 1946, the second series of hearings was concluded on April 8.

After listening 4 weeks to the views of witnesses appearing in the second series of hearings, the committee went into executive session to consider proposed legislation. Senate bill 1717, 79th Congress, introduced by the chairman on December 20, 1945, was adopted as a working basis. This bill embodied many provisions reflecting guiding principles developed in the hearings. The committee considered the bill in detail, altering, adding, and striking out various provisions. Differences of opinion among its members were resolved, and no section of the bill was adopted except by unanimous consent. On April 2, 1946, the committee unanimously approved Senate bill 1717 as amended in the committee. On April 19 the committee reported the bill to the Senate ("S. Rept." 1211, 79th Congr., 2nd sess.). On June 1, 1946, the bill was brought before the Senate for consideration and, after only 3 hours of debate and with a relatively minor amendment of its provisions, was passed without a dissenting vote. On June 5 the bill was referred to the House Committee on Military Affairs, and on July 10 the House Committee reported the bill with amendments ("H. Rept."2478. 79th Cong., 2nd sess.), after holding hearings thereon on June 11, 12, and 26. Taking up the bill for debate on July 17, the House of Representatives passed the bill on July 20 with amendments.

When the Senate could not agree to the House amendments and the House insisted on them, Senate and House conferees were appointed on July 22 for a conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the amendments. On July 25 the Senate and House conferees submitted to their respective houses the recommendations agreed to in conference ("H.Rept." 2670, 79th Cong., 2nd sess.). On July 26 the House of Representatives, receding from its position on most of the amendments, agreed to the conference report; and on the same day, the Senate also agreed to the report. Approved by the President on August 1, Senate bill 1717 became the "Atomic Energy Act of 1946" (Public Law 585, 79th Cong.). Except for relatively minor changes, the act as approved by the President was substantially the same as that originally passed by the Senate.

The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 created the Atomic Energy Commission to administewr domestic controls over atomic energy and to carry on research, development, and production programs in the field of atomic energy; and it also created the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, composed of nine Members of the Senate and nine Members of the House of Representatives, for the purpose of making continuing studies of the activities of the Atomic Energy Commission and of the problems relating to the development, use, and control of atomic energy.

With the drafting, passage, and approval of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 and the creation of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, the work of the Special Committee on Atomic Energy ceased, and the records of the special committee were taken over by the joint committee. The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy still has those records of the special committee that are necessary to carrying on its work; the other records of the special committee have been transferred to the National Archives and are described in an inventory. The latter records consisted in the main of communications addressed to the committee by individuals and their organizations submittting on their own violition their views on the subject matter of the committee's inquiry or on the manifold problems arising from the modern development of atomic energy; and of copies of the committee's replies to these communications. In a statement to the Senate on June 1, 1946, Senator McMahon referred to these communications with the public as follows: "In conformity with the democratic process, it (the committee) also gave consideration to points of view expressed by citizens and their organizations in more than 70,000 letters, telegrams, petitions, and resolutions which were addressed directly to the committee, in addition to those sent to its individual members."

From the description of Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Special Committee of the Senate on Atomic Energy. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122597035