[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6236 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6236

 To streamline nuclear technology regulatory permitting and licensing, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 6, 2023

  Mr. Allen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To streamline nuclear technology regulatory permitting and licensing, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Nuclear Licensing Efficiency Act''.

SEC. 2. EFFICIENT LICENSING REVIEWS.

    (a) General.--Section 181 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 
U.S.C. 2231) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The provisions of'' and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(a) `The provisions of'''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Consistent with the declaration in section 1, the Commission 
shall provide for efficient, timely, and predictable reviews and 
proceedings for the granting, suspending, revoking, or amending of any 
license or construction permit, or application to transfer control, and 
in any proceeding for the issuance or modification of rules and 
regulations dealing with the activities of licenses.''.
    (b) Construction Permits and Operating Licenses.--Section 185 of 
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2235) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
    ``c. Application Reviews for Production and Utilization Facilities 
of an Existing Site.--In reviewing an application for an early site 
permit, construction permit, operating license, or combined 
construction permit and operating license for a production facility or 
utilization facility located at the site of a production facility or 
utilization facility licensed by the Commission, the Commission shall, 
to the extent practicable, use information that was part of the 
licensing basis of the licensed production facility or utilization 
facility.''.

SEC. 3. PERFORMANCE METRICS AND MILESTONES.

    Section 102(c) of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization 
Act (42 U.S.C. 2215(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``180'' 
                and inserting ``90''; and
                    (B) by striking ``180'' and inserting ``90''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Periodic updates to metrics and schedules.--
                    ``(A) Review and assessment.--Not less frequently 
                than once every 3 years, the Commission shall review 
                and assess, based on the licensing and regulatory 
                activities of the Commission, the performance metrics 
                and milestone schedules developed under paragraph (1).
                    ``(B) Revisions.--After each review and assessment 
                under subparagraph (A), the Commission shall revise, as 
                appropriate, the performance metrics and milestone 
                schedules developed under paragraph (1) to provide the 
                most efficient performance metrics and milestone 
                schedules reasonably achievable.''.

SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION ON FUSION REGULATION.

    Section 103(a)(4) of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and 
Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2133 note; Public Law 115-439) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``Not later'' and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Exclusion of fusion reactors.--
                Notwithstanding section 3(1), for purposes of 
                subparagraph (A), the term `advanced nuclear reactor 
                applicant' does not include an applicant for a license 
                for a nuclear fusion reactor.''.

SEC. 5. TECHNICAL CORRECTION.

    Section 104 c. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2134(c)) 
is amended--
            (1) by striking the third sentence and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(3) Limitation on utilization facilities.--The Commission 
        may issue a license under this section for a utilization 
        facility useful in the conduct of research and development 
        activities of the types specified in section 31 if--
                    ``(A) not more than 75 percent of the annual costs 
                to the licensee of owning and operating the facility 
                are devoted to the sale, other than for research and 
                development or education and training, of--
                            ``(i) nonenergy services;
                            ``(ii) energy; or
                            ``(iii) a combination of nonenergy services 
                        and energy; and
                    ``(B) not more than 50 percent of the annual costs 
                to the licensee of owning and operating the facility 
                are devoted to the sale of energy.'';
            (2) in the second sentence, by striking ``The Commission'' 
        and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Regulation.--The Commission''; and
            (3) by striking ``c. The Commission'' and inserting the 
        following:
    ``c. Research and Development Activities.
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the 
        Commission''.
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