ACNP), and the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM).
Basically, the study recommends that Congress should remove from the NRC authority to regulate the medical use of nuclear reactor byproducts and should bring about a more uniform, streamlined, and costeffective approach to regulation of all ionizing radiation in medicine. Authority should be transferred from federal control to the states, with oversight afforded by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). It was also recommended that current safety programs expand to include nuclear reactor byproduct material, which constitutes approximately 10% of ionizing radiation used in medicine. Other forms of ionizing radiation used in medicine such as x-rays and particle accelerators are currently regulated by the states. It was felt that giving appropriate regulatory authority to the states would adequately protect health and would be less intrusive and costly for facilities currently being regulated while at the same time preserving access to the major benefits of nuclear procedures.
The committee felt that the degree to which NRC regulations hindered efficiency and intruded in the practice of medicine was excessive. It was felt that if left unchanged, rising fees for NRC services and duplicative