[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6253 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6253

To authorize the Secretary of Energy to make awards to cover regulatory 
 costs relating to licensing certain first-of-a-kind advanced nuclear 
                               reactors.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 2023

 Mr. Curtis (for himself and Mr. Tonko) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Energy to make awards to cover regulatory 
 costs relating to licensing certain first-of-a-kind advanced nuclear 
                               reactors.

    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 ``Advanced Nuclear Reactor Prize 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR PRIZES.

    Section 103 of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act 
(Public Law 115-439; 132 Stat. 5571) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(f) Prizes for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Licensing.--
            ``(1) Definition of eligible entity.--In this subsection, 
        the term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a non-Federal entity; and
                    ``(B) the Tennessee Valley Authority.
            ``(2) Prize for advanced nuclear reactor licensing.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding section 169 of 
                the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2209) and 
                subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
                Secretary is authorized to make, with respect to each 
                award category described in subparagraph (C), an award 
                in an amount described in subparagraph (B) to the first 
                eligible entity--
                            ``(i) to which the Commission issues an 
                        operating license for an advanced nuclear 
                        reactor under part 50 of title 10, Code of 
                        Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), 
                        for which an application has not been approved 
                        by the Commission as of the date of enactment 
                        of this subsection; or
                            ``(ii) for which the Commission makes a 
                        finding described in section 52.103(g) of title 
                        10, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
                        regulations), with respect to a combined 
                        license for an advanced nuclear reactor--
                                    ``(I) that is issued under subpart 
                                C of part 52 of that title (or 
                                successor regulations); and
                                    ``(II) for which an application has 
                                not been approved by the Commission as 
                                of the date of enactment of this 
                                subsection.
                    ``(B) Amount of award.--Subject to paragraph (3), 
                an award under subparagraph (A) shall be in an amount 
                equal to the total amount assessed by the Commission 
                and collected under section 102(b)(2) from the eligible 
                entity receiving the award for costs relating to the 
                issuance of the license described in that subparagraph, 
                including, as applicable, costs relating to the 
                issuance of an associated construction permit described 
                in section 50.23 of title 10, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (or successor regulations), or early site 
                permit (as defined in section 52.1 of that title (or 
                successor regulations)).
                    ``(C) Award categories.--An award under 
                subparagraph (A) may be made for--
                            ``(i) the first advanced nuclear reactor 
                        for which the Commission--
                                    ``(I) issues a license in 
                                accordance with clause (i) of 
                                subparagraph (A); or
                                    ``(II) makes a finding in 
                                accordance with clause (ii) of that 
                                subparagraph;
                            ``(ii) an advanced nuclear reactor that--
                                    ``(I) uses isotopes derived from 
                                spent nuclear fuel (as defined in 
                                section 2 of the Nuclear Waste Policy 
                                Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101)) or 
                                depleted uranium as fuel for the 
                                advanced nuclear reactor; and
                                    ``(II) is the first advanced 
                                nuclear reactor described in subclause 
                                (I) for which the Commission--
                                            ``(aa) issues a license in 
                                        accordance with clause (i) of 
                                        subparagraph (A); or
                                            ``(bb) makes a finding in 
                                        accordance with clause (ii) of 
                                        that subparagraph;
                            ``(iii) an advanced nuclear reactor that--
                                    ``(I) is a nuclear integrated 
                                energy system--
                                            ``(aa) that is composed of 
                                        2 or more co-located or jointly 
                                        operated subsystems of energy 
                                        generation, energy storage, or 
                                        other technologies;
                                            ``(bb) in which not fewer 
                                        than 1 subsystem described in 
                                        item (aa) is a nuclear energy 
                                        system; and
                                            ``(cc) the purpose of which 
                                        is--

                                                    ``(AA) to reduce 
                                                greenhouse gas 
                                                emissions in both the 
                                                power and nonpower 
                                                sectors; and

                                                    ``(BB) to maximize 
                                                energy production and 
                                                efficiency; and

                                    ``(II) is the first advanced 
                                nuclear reactor described in subclause 
                                (I) for which the Commission--
                                            ``(aa) issues a license in 
                                        accordance with clause (i) of 
                                        subparagraph (A); or
                                            ``(bb) makes a finding in 
                                        accordance with clause (ii) of 
                                        that subparagraph;
                            ``(iv) an advanced reactor that--
                                    ``(I) operates flexibly to generate 
                                electricity or high temperature process 
                                heat for nonelectric applications; and
                                    ``(II) is the first advanced 
                                nuclear reactor described in subclause 
                                (I) for which the Commission--
                                            ``(aa) issues a license in 
                                        accordance with clause (i) of 
                                        subparagraph (A); or
                                            ``(bb) makes a finding in 
                                        accordance with clause (ii) of 
                                        that subparagraph; and
                            ``(v) the first advanced nuclear reactor 
                        for which the Commission grants approval to 
                        load nuclear fuel pursuant to the technology-
                        inclusive regulatory framework established 
                        under subsection (a)(4).
            ``(3) Federal funding limitation.--
                    ``(A) Exclusion of tva funds.--In this paragraph, 
                the term `Federal funds' does not include funds 
                received under the power program of the Tennessee 
                Valley Authority established pursuant to the Tennessee 
                Valley Authority Act of 1933 (16 U.S.C. 831 et seq.).
                    ``(B) Limitation on amounts expended.--An award 
                under this subsection shall not exceed the total amount 
                expended (excluding any expenditures made with Federal 
                funds received for the applicable project and an amount 
                equal to the minimum cost-share required under section 
                988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352)) 
                by the eligible entity receiving the award for 
                licensing costs relating to the project for which the 
                award is made.
                    ``(C) Repayments and dividends not required.--
                Notwithstanding section 9104(a)(4) of title 31, United 
                States Code, or any other provision of law, an eligible 
                entity that received an award under this subsection 
                shall not be required--
                            ``(i) to repay that award or any part of 
                        that award; or
                            ``(ii) to pay a dividend, interest, or 
                        other similar payment based on the sum of that 
                        award.''.
                                 <all>