[Senate Report 118-182]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                  Calendar No. 118

118th Congress}                                           { Report
                                 SENATE
   2d Session }                                           { 118-182

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ACCELERATING DEPLOYMENT OF VERSATILE, ADVANCED NUCLEAR FOR CLEAN ENERGY 
                              ACT OF 2023

                                _______
                                

                 June 17, 2024.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

           Mr. Carper, from the Committee on Environment and 
                 Public Works, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1111]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works to which was 
referred the bill (S. 1111) to enhance United States civil 
nuclear leadership, support the licensing of advanced nuclear 
technologies, strengthen the domestic nuclear energy fuel cycle 
and supply chain, and improve the regulation of nuclear energy, 
and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.

                    General Statement and Background

    Preserving and expanding the nation's use of clean and 
reliable nuclear energy is essential to advancing the energy 
and national security interests of the United States and 
achieving our environmental goals. Currently, America's 94 
operating nuclear reactors generate approximately one-fifth of 
our nation's electricity and nearly half of our carbon-free 
energy.\1\ In addition, new nuclear reactors would provide 
reliable, diverse, and clean energy to support our nation's 
electricity system. Thus, the United States must support both 
continued operation of existing reactors and deploy new 
advanced reactors to ensure that nuclear generation maintains 
its important role in America's energy portfolio.
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    \1\World Nuclear Association, Country Profiles: Nuclear Power in 
the USA, https://world-
nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-t-z/usa-
nuclear-power.aspx (last visited January 31, 2024).
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    Russia's war on Ukraine and China's aggressive nuclear 
buildout highlight the importance of American leadership in 
providing energy security at home and abroad. The international 
community, particularly American allies, are seeking to deploy 
new nuclear technologies to reduce reliance on Russian energy, 
and specifically Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear 
enterprise. Exporting American nuclear technologies will grow 
domestic jobs and fill a vacuum abroad that will likely 
otherwise be filled by Russia and China. Doing so is good for 
America's geostrategic relationships, the U.S. economy and job 
creation, and safety, security, and nonproliferation standards.
    The Committee recognizes the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) as the international leader for the regulation of the use 
of radioactive material and nuclear technology. However, the 
burgeoning interest in the rapid deployment of new reactor 
concepts presents challenges to the NRC on multiple fronts. 
Reactor vendors seeking to license designs that depart from 
traditional light-water reactor technology require the NRC to 
build and maintain additional technical capacity to meet its 
statutory licensing and oversight role.
    In order to maintain the public's trust and confidence in 
its decisions and in the safety regimes that it administers, 
the NRC must continue to fulfill its safety mission consistent 
with its obligations as an independent regulator under the 
Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the Energy Reorganization Act of 
1974.\2\ The Commission should ensure that its licensing and 
regulatory activities are conducted in a manner designed ``to 
provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of public 
health and safety and to promote the common defense and 
security and to protect the environment''.\3\ Application of 
the NRC's Principles of Good Regulation--Independence, 
Openness, Efficiency, Clarity, and Reliability--can and should 
guide the NRC's execution of its licensing and oversight 
functions in order to manage any surge in licensing 
activity.\4\ Nothing in this Act is intended to change those 
fundamental guideposts in how the agency does its work.
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    \2\Atomic Energy Act of 1954, ch. 1073, Sec.  1, 68 Stat. 960 
(August 30, 1954); Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-438, 
Oct. 11, 1974, 88 Stat. 1233 (October 11, 1974).
    \3\U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, About NRC: NRC Mission, 
https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc.html (last visited January 26, 2024).
    \4\U.S. Department of Energy, Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: 
Advanced Nuclear, Department of Energy, Mar. 2023, https://
liftoff.energy.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230320-Liftoff-
Advanced-Nuclear-vPUB-0329-Update.pdf.
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    The NRC's efforts to modernize and prepare for additional 
licensing activities are critical as nuclear energy is 
increasingly recognized as a necessary resource to provide 
baseload, emission-free energy. The NRC is currently engaged in 
reviewing license applications for first-of-a-kind reactor 
designs, with several other developers engaged in pre-
application discussions.\5\ In addition, the NRC is developing 
a new regulatory framework for advanced reactors with 
unprecedented levels of engagement from the industry and the 
public.\6\ These activities provide significant learning 
opportunities for the agency and will help better prepare the 
NRC staff for future applications.
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    \5\U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Status Report on the 
Licensing Activities and Regulatory Duties of the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (For the Reporting Period of July 1, 2023 through 
September 30, 2023), https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2327/ML23279A030.pdf.
    \6\U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Part 53--Risk Informed, 
Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors, 
https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/rulemaking-and-
guidance/part-53.html (last visited January 26, 2024).
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    S. 1111, the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced 
Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2023's (herein referred to as 
the ADVANCE Act) suite of policies to enable the safe use of 
nuclear energy will build on the NRC's current initiatives and 
position the U.S. to compete in international markets. Targeted 
public funding to support certain licensing activities will 
unlock further private investment to successfully license and 
operate new reactors while providing broader public benefits. 
This targeted support also aims to empower the NRC to modernize 
and strengthen its regulatory capacity and invest in critical 
areas of the agency.
    Both domestically and abroad, advanced reactor developers 
envisage novel uses for their designs beyond electricity 
generation. Many innovative nuclear vendors have expressed 
intentions to mass-manufacture their designs to achieve 
economies of scale. Each novel use case and innovative 
manufacturing or construction practice requires thoughtful 
consideration to identify and address potential safety and 
regulatory issues before developers submit applications for 
licensing. Achieving efficiency in the license review process 
for advanced reactors requires that agency technical staff 
possess the knowledge to effectively evaluate the safety of new 
technologies. Reducing uncertainties through early engagement 
with potential licensees and coordinated research initiatives 
will help to build technical capacity to inform licensing 
reviews.
    In addition to addressing anticipated, future needs in 
developing and deploying new nuclear technologies, the ADVANCE 
Act also recognizes and addresses issues associated with the 
federal government's role and legacy in Cold War uranium 
mining. The environmental and public health impacts of the 
early atomic age and the legacy of nuclear weapons development 
continue to impact communities across the nation. The Committee 
recognizes the federal government's role in remediating these 
legacy sites and supports steps necessary to clean up those 
abandoned uranium mines located on Tribal lands.\7\ 
Additionally, communities that host nuclear power plants that 
have shut down face a number of negative economic impacts and 
economic development challenges, which includes the federal 
government's failure to fulfill its legal obligation to 
permanently dispose of commercial spent nuclear fuel.
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    \7\U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Navajo Nation: Cleaning Up 
Abandoned Uranium Mines, https://www.epa.gov/navajo-nation-uranium-
cleanup/abandoned-mines-cleanup (last visited January 26, 2024).
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    The ADVANCE Act includes provisions that address pressing 
needs of the NRC and introduces policies that will lay the 
foundation for advanced reactor deployment in the coming 
decade. Reinvigorating America's nuclear energy sector will 
create jobs, strengthen our energy and national security, 
reduce carbon dioxide emissions, grow our economy, and 
strengthen strategic domestic supply chains. The ADVANCE Act 
will help the United States to achieve these goals. This 
legislation enjoys broad support from the nuclear industry, 
nonprofit organizations, labor and trade unions, and other 
stakeholders.\8\
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    \8\Letters of support from the following entities are on file with 
the Committee: American Nuclear Insurers; American Nuclear Society; ARC 
Clean Technology; BPC Action; BWX Technologies, Inc.; Center for 
Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES); Centrus Energy Corp.; Clean Air 
Task Force; ClearPath Action; Core Power (US) Energy Northwest; 
Framatome Inc.; Generation Atomic; Good Energy Collective; 
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers; International Brotherhood of 
Electrical Workers (IBEW); Lightbridge Corporation; National Rural 
Electric Cooperative Association; The Nature Conservancy; Nuclear 
Energy Institute; Nuclear Innovation Alliance; Oklo; Orano USA; Radiant 
Industries; TerraPower; Terrestrial Energy USA; Third Way; Urenco USA; 
U.S. Chamber of Commerce; U.S. Nuclear Industry Council; Xcel Energy; 
and X-Energy, LLC.
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                  TITLE I--AMERICAN NUCLEAR LEADERSHIP

    This title will help to facilitate U.S. leadership in 
international nuclear energy development in order to compete 
with Russian and Chinese entities and to partner with nations 
seeking to deploy nuclear power plants. Countries that 
currently do not host nuclear reactors are exploring the 
deployment of nuclear power to help strengthen energy 
infrastructure. For example, several countries in Africa are 
looking to deploy nuclear energy.\9\ These emerging civil 
nuclear energy nations will require financial and technical 
support to build independent regulatory agencies and develop 
the institutional, cultural, and safety expertise to deploy 
civil nuclear energy generation. Establishing a framework for 
cooperation will position the United States to serve as the 
international leader in forging new global nuclear 
partnerships.\10\ The NRC has already launched some initiatives 
to do so. For example, in 2019, the NRC entered into a 
memorandum of cooperation (MOC) with the Canadian Nuclear 
Safety Commission (CNSC) to increase collaboration on technical 
reviews of advanced reactors. This partnership has yielded 
benefits to both agencies.\11\
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    \9\Atoms for Africa, The Breakthrough Institute (Apr. 18, 2018), 
https://thebreakthrough.org/articles/atoms-for-africa.
    \10\ See, e.g., Atlantic Council, U.S. Nuclear Energy Leadership: 
Innovation and The Strategic Global Challenge (May 2019), https://
www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/
US_Nuclear_Energy_Leadership-.pdf.
    \11\ U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Memorandum of Cooperation 
Between the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the NRC, 
https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/
advanced/who-were-working-with/international-cooperation/nrc-cnsc-
moc.html (last visited January 26, 2024).
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    Building on the NRC's MOC with the CNSC, and related 
international activities, section 101 of the ADVANCE Act 
directs the NRC to coordinate international activities to 
support regulatory cooperation with allied countries, as well 
as countries seeking to establish nuclear regulatory frameworks 
of their own. The Committee intends that the Commission 
implement section 101 by coordinating activities relating to 
both nuclear reactor licensing and oversight, as well as 
radioactive material regulation. The Committee urges the 
Commission to establish a single branch to serve as a single 
coordinating function, but the bill does not prohibit the 
Commission from reorganizing this coordinating function for 
international activities in the future. Section 101 of the 
ADVANCE Act does not confer any new authorities to the 
Commission beyond the NRC's existing statutory regulatory and 
licensing authority to serve as an independent safety regulator 
and its role in approving certain export licenses, as generally 
conducted under 10 C.F.R. Part 110.
    To counter Russian influence in nuclear fuel markets and 
the impacts to domestic nuclear fuel manufacturing capacity, 
the ADVANCE Act restricts the possession in the United States 
of nuclear fuel that is fabricated by Russian or Chinese 
entities.\12\ While fully fabricated fuel from such sources is 
not currently used by domestic nuclear power facilities, this 
provision will provide a backstop authority to ensure domestic 
fuel fabricators will not be subject to market manipulation by 
foreign, state-sponsored entities. Section 102 requires the 
Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of State to make a joint 
determination whether possession of nuclear fuel that is 
fabricated for commercial power reactors in Russia or China 
poses a threat to the national security of the United States. 
The Committee does not intend the ADVANCE Act to be interpreted 
as an outright prohibition on such covered fuel, but the 
Committee does intend to ensure that the potential use of 
Russian or Chinese fabricated fuel is carefully considered on a 
case-by-case basis.
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    \12\ U.S. Department of Energy, Restoring America's Competitive 
Nuclear Energy Advantage, https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/
2020/04/f74/
Restoring%20America%27s%20Competitive%20Nuclear%20Advantage_1.pdf.
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    Section 103 requires the Commission to deny issuance of an 
export license for certain nuclear material and technology to 
countries that have not signed the International Atomic Energy 
Agency (IAEA) safety and security protocols if the Commission 
finds that transfer of such technology is inimical to United 
States' national interests. The Committee does not intend to 
establish a new standard that differs from the current 
inimicality requirements under the Atomic Energy Act; rather it 
intends only to reiterate the NRC's existing export approval 
threshold. However, as the United States seeks to expand its 
international cooperation to ensure the safe development of 
civil nuclear energy, Federal agencies charged with executing 
and overseeing non-proliferation polices must ensure that the 
deployment of all nuclear technologies intended for peaceful 
civilian power uses do not contribute to proliferation. To 
assist Congress in understanding the extent and nature of 
exports to those countries, the Commission must notify Congress 
if the NRC determines that an export license for a covered item 
to a covered country is not inimical to the common defense and 
security of the United States. The Committee intends that the 
Commission notify Congress promptly upon making such a 
determination.

      TITLE II--DEVELOPING AND DEPLOYING NEW NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES

    Title II consists of targeted solutions to address certain 
challenges associated with the licensing of advanced reactor 
technology, the use of such technology in novel applications, 
and the deployment of advanced reactors.
    The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA-90) directed 
the NRC to recover approximately 90 percent of its annual 
budget through fees charged to licensees and applicants.\13\ 
Congress revised OBRA-90's method to calculate the NRC's fee-
recovery requirements as part of the 2019 Nuclear Energy 
Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA).\14\ NEIMA requires 
the NRC to charge a fee for a thing of service or value; this 
is done through developing a fee rate that is assessed and 
collected on an hourly basis and charged under 10 C.F.R. Part 
170.\15\ To calculate the total hourly rate, the NRC allocates 
the total budgetary resources into three bins--mission-direct, 
mission-indirect, and agency support. Those categories are then 
applied to establish fees within certain business lines.\16\ 
The NRC's professional hourly rate under Part 170 for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2023 is $300 per hour.\17\
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    \13\ Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-508, Title VI, 
Subtitle B, 104. Stat. 1388-298 (November 5, 1990).
    \14\ Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, Pub. L. 115-
439, Title I, Sec. 102, 132 Stat. 5567 (Jan. 14, 2019).
    \15\ The balance of NRC's fee-recovered budget is spread amongst 
NRC licensees and paid as annual charges under 10 C.F.R. Sec.  171.
    \16\ U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, FY 2023 Final Fee Rule 
Work Papers (May 15, 2023), https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2313/
ML23136A575.pdf.
    \17\ Revision of Fee Schedules; Fee Recovery for Fiscal Year 2023, 
88 Fed Reg 39,120 (June 15, 2023).
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    Efficient license reviews depend on the quality of 
interaction between the NRC staff and applicants, especially 
when applicants submit designs for advanced reactors reliant on 
novel safety features with which the industry has minimal 
operating experience. The NRC also consistently encourages 
robust pre-application engagement as a mechanism to improve NRC 
staff familiarity with designs and the efficiency of eventual 
license reviews. ADVANCE Act section 201 amends NEIMA's 
existing fee-recovery requirements to reduce fees assessed to 
advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants. For 
some nuclear energy vendors, especially those seeking to 
license very small nuclear power systems, the current rate 
under NEIMA is burdensome.\18\ The ADVANCE Act reduces the 
total charges for advanced reactor applicants and pre-
applicants to just mission-direct costs. In other words, an 
advanced reactor applicant would only pay for the costs of the 
NRC staff that are directly reviewing the application, which 
should result in higher quality engagement between an applicant 
and NRC reviewers. That methodology would reduce the total 
hourly rate from $300 per hour in FY 2023 to approximately 
$145.\19\ The revised hourly rate calculation does not limit 
Congress from modifying established budget control points in 
future appropriations bills.
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    \18\ Nuclear Innovation Alliance,  Unlocking Advanced Nuclear 
Innovation p. 17, https://www.nuclearinnovationalliance.org/unlocking-
advanced-nuclear-innovation-role-fee-reform-and-public-investment.
    \19\ Id.
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    To ensure that hourly fees not attributed to mission-direct 
work are not simply shifted to other portions of the NRC's fee-
base, the ADVANCE Act excludes mission-indirect and agency 
support costs from NEIMA's fee recovery requirements. The 
Committee intends that the estimated projected costs for 
mission-indirect and agency support costs are included in the 
NRC's annual Congressional Budget Justification and are a 
component of requested congressional appropriations.
    The ADVANCE Act establishes a sunset date of September 30, 
2029 for the reduced hourly rate for pre-applicants. This time 
limitation is intended to encourage advanced nuclear companies 
to prioritize resources to engage with the NRC in the near-term 
to receive licenses for first-of-a-kind designs. A sunset date 
also minimizes the need for additional congressional 
appropriations in the long-term.
    Section 202 authorizes a new Department of Energy (DOE) 
prize program to reward first-mover advanced reactor 
applicants. The prize program is intended to incentivize 
advanced nuclear developers to dedicate additional private 
capital funding and resources to deploy the first advanced 
reactors and pave the way for subsequent reactor deployment. 
The prize categories reflect the Committee's broad interest in 
facilitating new nuclear energy technologies, including a 
reactor for nonelectric applications, a reactor that reuses 
spent nuclear fuel, and the first advanced reactor licensed 
under the NRC's new technology-inclusive regulatory framework 
known as Part 53. Under the prize eligibility requirements, an 
entity may only be eligible to receive the prize once the 
reactor is licensed and has received regulatory approval to 
operate. The bill authorizes a total prize amount that equals 
the total regulatory costs the eligible entity paid to the NRC 
under NEIMA's fee-recovery requirements. Because section 201 of 
the ADVANCE Act reduces the hourly rate charged under Part 170 
for advanced reactor applicants, the Committee expects the 
total prize amount will be lower than existing fee costs. This 
will minimize the total impact on the DOE's total 
appropriation. The manager's amendment adopted at the 
Committee's markup clarifies that should the Tennessee Valley 
Authority (TVA) receive a prize, the prize's funding would not 
be subject to TVA-specific funding requirements. The ADVANCE 
Act limits the award amount to costs that exceed existing 
statutory cost-share requirements. Expenditures that are 
necessary to meet those cost-share requirements are not 
eligible to be counted towards the overall award amount to 
ensure that the entity is not using prize funding to subsidize 
its cost-share obligations. The Committee expects that the DOE 
will implement the awards program under this section in 
conjunction with, and, to the maximum extent practicable, 
within the same organizational structure as, the Advanced 
Nuclear Energy Licensing Cost-Share Grant Program.
    In 2021, the industrial sector was the third largest source 
of greenhouse gas emissions at approximately 23 percent of 
total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.\20\ Reducing emissions in 
the industrial sector presents unique challenges compared with 
decarbonization steps for the transportation or electric 
sectors, but nuclear designs may present emissions-free 
solutions.\21\ Section 203 directs the Commission to analyze 
and report on the unique licensing and other requirements 
associated with non-electric applications of nuclear reactors 
to provide greater transparency on the regulatory issues 
associated with the use of advanced nuclear technologies to 
reduce industrial emissions. For example, the NRC may need to 
consider a number of regulatory issues associated with co-
locating a licensed reactor with an industrial facility, such 
as physical security or emergency preparedness.
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    \20\U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sources of Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions: Industry Sector Emissions, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/
sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#industry (last visited Jan. 29, 2024).
    \21\See, e.g., U.S. Department of Energy, 3 Surprising Ways to Use 
Nuclear Energy, https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/3-surprising-ways-
use-nuclear-energy (last visited Jan. 29, 2024).
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    Congress has previously directed the DOE and the Department 
of Defense (DOD) to pursue the deployment of advanced nuclear 
reactors on DOE and DOD sites.\22\ If the DOE and DOD determine 
there is a national security or reliability need to construct 
and operate a nuclear reactor on such a site, the NRC may 
ultimately serve as the regulator. Under existing requirements, 
Congress would appropriate money to one federal agency--the DOE 
or DOD--which then would award such funding to a private entity 
to work through the regulatory process with the NRC--another 
federal agency. Each step of the funding process costs money to 
manage and oversee. Thus, the dollar amount that is eventually 
paid to the NRC in fees is far less than the original amount 
appropriated to the DOE or DOD for that purpose. Section 204 
reduces this inefficiency by providing a direct pathway for 
Congress to appropriate money to the NRC for early site permit 
work at a qualifying site. The limited portion of the total 
licensing process that the NRC is authorized to undertake 
subject to appropriations is intended to be a targeted 
approach, still allowing the DOE and DOD to broadly fund other 
licensing work, such as funding appropriated to the DOE's 
licensing cost-share program established by the Nuclear Energy 
Innovation and Capabilities Act (NEICA).\23\
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    \22\See, e.g., John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2019, Pub. L. 115-232. Title III, Subtitle C, Sec. 327, 
132 Stat. 1721 (Aug. 13, 2018).
    \23\Nuclear Energy Innovation and Capabilities Act of 2017, Pub. L. 
115-248, Sec. 3, 132 Stat. 3160 (Sept. 28, 2018).
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    Nuclear fusion has the potential to provide safe, clean 
baseload energy needed to power our cities and industries, 
while generating important economic and national security 
benefits. The pace of innovation in fusion has dramatically 
accelerated over the last decade, with the United States at the 
forefront. Currently, there are more than a dozen private 
sector companies seeking to commercialize fusion energy in the 
near term, and many of these companies are vying to demonstrate 
net energy and net electricity production by the middle of the 
decade. Further, leading scientists from around the world have 
determined that fusion does not pose safety concerns similar to 
fission.\24\ Unlike fission, fusion does not use or generate 
fissile material, raises minimal proliferation concerns, and 
systems can be turned off on demand. The Commission unanimously 
voted to direct the regulation of fusion energy systems under 
the NRC's byproduct materials framework (10 C.F.R. Parts 30-
37).\25\ Section 205 clarifies that this regulatory framework 
should be established on a separate path from the NRC's current 
efforts associated with the technology-inclusive framework for 
nuclear fission.
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    \24\See, e.g., National Academies of Sciences, Bringing Fusion to 
the U.S. Grid, at 42 (2021), https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/
25991/bringing-fusion-to-the-us-grid (``Fusion power plants cannot have 
a chain reaction. As a result, safety issues associated with fusion are 
different from those associated with fission reactors . . . .''); U.K. 
Atomic Energy Authority, Technology Report--Safety and Waste Aspects 
for Fusion Power Plants (Sept. 2021), https://
scientific-publications.ukaea.uk/wp-content/uploads/UKAEA-RE2101-
Fusion-Technology-Report-Issue-1.pdf.
    \25\Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Staff Requirements--SECY-23-
0001--Options for Licensing and Regulating Fusion Energy Systems (Apr. 
13, 2023), https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2310/ML23103A449.pdf.
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    Electric utilities, states, and communities are examining 
options to site nuclear facilities on brownfield sites or sites 
with retiring fossil-fuel energy plants to achieve emissions-
reduction goals and provide dispatchable, baseload electricity. 
The DOE has investigated the potential for the reuse of such 
sites in ways that leverage existing energy infrastructure at 
coal plants while delivering economic and environmental 
benefits to communities impacted by the energy transition.\26\ 
The NRC does not have experience licensing reactors on 
brownfield sites. Section 206 of the ADVANCE Act instructs the 
NRC to consider the legal and regulatory implications of co-
locating advanced reactors at former fossil energy and 
brownfields sites and to include any potential interagency 
coordination needed to perform effective and efficient 
environmental reviews. The Commission should assess the 
potential site characteristics that could be utilized to 
expedite the safe licensing of a facility on a brownfield site, 
such as considering previously completed environmental 
documents and data, as well as addressing issues that could be 
problematic, such as increased background radiation associated 
with coal ash ponds or how liability issues may need to be 
addressed. The Committee intends that information gathered 
during the development of the Commission's report will serve as 
a roadmap to utilize brownfield sites. The NRC is subsequently 
directed to update appropriate strategies and regulations to 
enable the timely licensing review for utilization and 
production facilities at brownfield and retired fossil-fuel 
sites.
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    \26\ U.S. Department of Energy, Investigating Benefits and 
Challenges of Converting Retiring Coal Plants into Nuclear Plants 
https://fuelcycleoptions.inl.gov/SiteAssets/SitePages/Home/
C2N2022Report.pdf.
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    As certain states that have traditionally relied on fossil-
fuel energy sources look to replace retiring electric 
generation, nuclear energy is of growing interest. For example, 
in 2017, Kentucky lifted its moratorium on nuclear power 
plants, and in 2022, West Virginia similarly eliminated its 
longstanding prohibition. Other states in the Appalachian 
Regional Commission's footprint are considering ways to 
facilitate coal-to-nuclear replacement projects.\27\ Section 
207 intends to help to build technical capability for states 
that do not have significant experience with nuclear energy. It 
is intended to assist entities by engaging with the NRC to 
understand how the NRC licenses, regulates, and oversees 
nuclear facilities.
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    \27\See, e.g., World Nuclear News, Maryland and X-energy to Examine 
Coal-to-Nuclear Switch (June 15, 2022), https://www.world-nuclear-
news.org/Articles/Maryland-and-X-energy-to-study-coal-to-nuclear-swi.
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        TITLE III--PRESERVING EXISTING NUCLEAR ENERGY GENERATION

    The global nuclear energy market has transformed since many 
of America's civil nuclear energy bedrock laws were enacted. 
For example, at the outset of the commercial nuclear age and 
prior to the development of a globally integrated market that 
exists today, Congress codified a policy to prohibit meaningful 
foreign participation in America's nuclear energy market.\28\ 
This policy restricts the NRC from licensing a nuclear reactor 
that is owned by a foreign entity, regardless of the country. 
This restriction prevents the United States' closest allies 
from operating commercial nuclear power plants, limiting long-
term energy security and national security geostrategic 
relationships. Section 301 of the ADVANCE Act modifies this 
legacy policy.\29\ The bill removes the blanket prohibition on 
the NRC from issuing a license to an entity that is owned, 
controlled, or dominated by an alien, foreign corporation, or 
foreign government. The bill lifts the blanket ban with regard 
to entities from countries belonging to the Organization for 
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Republic 
of India.
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    \28\Atomic Energy Act of 1954 Sec. 103(d), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2133(d).
    \29\For more information, see Matt Bowen, Columbia University 
Center on Global Policy, Strengthening Nuclear Energy Cooperation 
Between the United States and Its Allies (July 2020), https://
www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/
NuclearAllies_CGEP-
Report_111522.pdf.
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    While section 301 lifts the outright moratorium for 
entities from those countries, it does not require the NRC to 
issue a license to such entities and preserves a full, robust 
Executive Branch review. For example, the ADVANCE Act does not 
eliminate a review from the Committee on Foreign Investment in 
the United States. Under the revised provision, the Commission 
must still determine if issuing a license is inimical to the 
interests of the United States. The Commission should interpret 
the phrase ``owned, controlled, or dominated'' with respect to 
a foreign entity to mean that the final parent entity that has 
ultimate and final decision-making control over the applicant, 
notwithstanding any intermediate entities between the applicant 
and the final parent entity.
    Title III also extends the financial protection and 
backstop financial indemnification policy for nuclear power 
licensees, known as the ``Price-Anderson Act'' (PAA),\30\ first 
established in 1957. Prior to receiving a license to operate a 
nuclear power reactor, the applicant must demonstrate that it 
has the necessary insurance liability coverage to meet the PAA 
requirements. If Congress does not extend the PAA beyond the 
current expiration on December 31, 2025,\31\ licensing of 
advanced reactors would be imperiled. Therefore, the ADVANCE 
Act extends this liability protection by 20 years.
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    \30\42 U.S.C. Sec.  2210.
    \31\Congress extended PAA coverage to December 31, 2025 in the 
Energy Policy Act of 2005.
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    TITLE IV--NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE, SUPPLY CHAIN, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND 
                               WORKFORCE

    Title IV introduces policies to modernize elements of the 
nuclear fuel cycle and address issues across the supply chain 
for advanced reactors.
    Due to a lack of new nuclear reactors deployed in the past 
30 years, the nuclear industry has not adopted or utilized new 
manufacturing and construction techniques that are widely 
prevalent in other industries. Advances in manufacturing and 
construction processes hold the potential to reduce deployment 
costs and timelines, improve reactor assembly flexibility, and 
increase safety.\32\ For example, Oak Ridge National Laboratory 
demonstrated a new 3D printing process that could manufacture 
materials for use in a nuclear reactor.\33\ The lack of nuclear 
construction has also negatively impacted the nuclear supply 
chain. However, the codes and standards that are used for other 
major infrastructure projects, such as the American Petroleum 
Institute specifications for the design, sourcing, and 
manufacture of safety-critical equipment or the American 
National Standards Institute's ISO 9001 standard,\34\ could 
also be used in the nuclear industry. This would increase the 
number of eligible component manufacturers and suppliers, 
reduce costs, increase schedule certainty, leverage best 
practices across related industries, and maintain safety. 
Section 401 of the ADVANCE Act directs the NRC to consider 
unique licensing issues or requirements for the use of advanced 
manufacturing processes and advanced construction techniques. 
The Committee intends for the NRC to survey and identify non-
nuclear codes and standards that could be adopted to enable the 
deployment of advanced reactors. The report should also update 
the Committee on work related to factory production of reactor 
modules, including the utilization of manufacturing licenses, 
licensing considerations for initial fuel loading of reactor 
modules in a factory setting, and the transfer of fueled 
reactor modules between licensees. The NRC should consider 
manufacturing and construction issues associated with fusion 
reactors, which are included in NEIMA's definition of advanced 
reactors, as part of the report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \32\See, e.g., Joseph Simon, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 
Additive Manufacturing to Nuclear Reactor Core Components at 1 (May 31, 
2019), https://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/Files/Pub126700.pdf.
    \33\U.S. Department of Energy, BWXT and ORNL Demonstrate New 3d 
Printing Process for High Temperature Materials, https://
www.energy.gov/ne/articles/bwxt-and-ornl-demonstrate-new-3d-printing-
process-high-temperature-materials (last visited Jan. 31, 2024).
    \34\American Petroleum Institute, API Standards: International 
Usage and Deployment, https://www.api.org/-/media/apiwebsite/products-
and-services/api-international-usage-and-deployment-report-2022.pdf; 
American National Standards Institute, ISO 9001: 20015 Quality 
Management Systems Standard (Feb. 10, 2020), https://blog.ansi.org/iso-
9001-2015-quality-management-standard/
?_gl=1*11kpiel*_gcl_au*MjAwNjU1OTIwOS4xNzA2NjMwOTE5.
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    A strong and safe domestic nuclear energy sector also 
requires a competent well-trained workforce. Nuclear energy 
advocates have identified the need to grow the nuclear 
workforce as a critical step to facilitate a robust nuclear 
supply chain.\35\ To help achieve this goal, the ADVANCE Act 
creates a subprogram under the NRC's existing University 
Nuclear Leadership Program (UNLP) to require the NRC to 
coordinate with institutions of higher learning and trade 
schools to anticipate and meet critical nuclear workforce 
needs. While the bill provides additional direction and 
responsibilities to the Commission, the Committee does not 
intend for this provision to weaken or dilute NRC's existing 
UNLP programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \35\See, e.g., Alan Ahn and Ryan Norman, Third Way, Revitalizing 
America's Nuclear Energy Supply Chain (May 25, 2022), https://
www.thirdway.org/blog/revitalizing-americas-nuclear-
energy-supply-chain.
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    The federal government has not fulfilled its legal 
obligations to take title to and dispose of commercial spent 
nuclear fuel and high-level waste. The data required in section 
404 will help Congress better understand the DOE's ongoing 
costs and liabilities associated with nuclear waste management 
and better inform future nuclear waste policy decisions.
    Section 405 of the ADVANCE Act authorizes the EPA 
Administrator to create a parallel structure to the EPA's 
Superfund authorities to prioritize remediation of contaminated 
sites on Tribal land. The Committee intends for the EPA to 
prioritize Navajo Nation sites contaminated by legacy uranium 
mining undertaken as a result of contracts with the Atomic 
Energy Commission (AEC) to support the United States' atomic 
energy defense programs.\36\ However, the section does not 
prohibit the EPA Administrator from using this authority for 
similar sites that meet the criteria established under this 
section. The number of contaminated uranium sites on Tribal 
land are significant and will require substantial resources to 
mitigate potential ongoing damage to Tribal members' health and 
economic wellbeing. The EPA is encouraged to prioritize site 
remediation activities that will make significant improvements 
to protect public health and the environment. The Committee 
encourages the EPA to utilize new technologies that can 
remediate these sites in a more efficient and cost-effective 
manner.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \36\ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency et al., Ten Year Plan: 
Federal Actions to Address Impacts of Uranium Contamination on the 
Navajo Nation 2020-2029, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-
02/documents/nnaum-ten-year-plan-2021-01.pdf.
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    The Committee recognizes the initial successes of the 
research coordination for advanced reactor demonstrations 
between the NRC and DOE implemented under NEICA. This framework 
served as a model for section 406 of the ADVANCE Act, which 
aims to enhance interagency coordination between the NRC and 
DOE relating to the development and qualification of new fuel 
technologies, including accident tolerant fuels. Providing 
opportunities for direct observation of DOE research activities 
under this arrangement has delivered significant benefits to 
both DOE researchers and the NRC staff.\37\ The Committee 
intends that the advanced nuclear fuel initiative established 
pursuant to section 405 will reduce the length of time and 
streamline the process to qualify and license advanced nuclear 
fuels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \37\ See, e.g. Ashley Finan, Idaho National Laboratory, National 
Reactor Innovation Center Advance Construction Technology Initiative 
(Mar. 16, 2023), https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2305/ML23055B142.pdf.
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                TITLE V--IMPROVING COMMISSION EFFICIENCY

    Competent, highly qualified, and specialized staff are 
critical for the NRC to fulfill its mission. Recent reports 
have consistently identified staff hiring and retention issues 
as a major challenge for the agency to efficiently license and 
regulate nuclear material.\38\ Workforce challenges have also 
been identified as a potential hurdle to enable the deployment 
of advanced nuclear reactors.\39\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \38\ See, e.g., Hearing on the Oversight of NRC: Ensuring Efficient 
and Predictable Nuclear Safety Regulation for a Prosperous America: 
Hearing Before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, 
Climate, and Grid Security., 118th Cong. (June 14, 2023) (Mr. Veasey, 
``So, what additional support does the NRC need from Congress to aid 
the effective and efficient review of advanced reactor technologies?'' 
Chair Hanson, ``Congressman, I guess I would kind of focus on two 
things. One is just additional hiring authorities so we have got that 
flexibility in the way we bring people on. It is not to say that we 
need a lot more people, necessarily. I have--I think I have been pretty 
consistent in saying that we both need to bring new people into the 
agency and also change the way we work.'')
    \39\ U.S. Government Accountability Office, Nuclear Power: NRC 
Needs to Take Additional Actions to Prepare to License Advanced 
Reactors at 24-27 (July 2023), https://www.gao.gov/assets/
d23105997.pdf.
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    Congress has long recognized the need for specialized 
expertise to license and regulate the civilian use of 
radioactive materials. Section 161d of the Atomic Energy Act 
provided the AEC--the NRC's and DOE's predecessor agency--with 
authority to ``appoint and fix the compensation of such 
officers and employees as may be necessary to carry out the 
functions of the Commission, and that such authority may be 
made without regard to civil service laws as the Commission 
deemed such action necessary to the discharge of its 
responsibilities.''\40\ This authority, carried forward through 
the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974's separation of the 
regulatory responsibilities to the NRC and DOE's promotional 
role, allows the NRC to use its personnel authorities outside 
of Office of Personnel Management requirements. However, the 
NRC's recent persistent staffing challenges make clear that the 
NRC's use of this authority has been inadequate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \40\Atomic Energy Act of 1954 Sec.  161(d).
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    To address this challenge, the ADVANCE Act provides 
specific hiring authority to the NRC to onboard highly 
specialized individuals and well-qualified candidates to meet 
the workforce needs of the Commission. This section also 
authorizes the Commission to offer competitive salaries and 
bonuses to target and attract the specific technical 
competencies required for mission critical activities. The new 
direct hire authority and nuclear energy traineeship program 
aim to bolster recruitment efforts already underway at the NRC. 
Offering competitive compensation and benefits, as well as 
further development of the Nuclear Regulator Apprenticeship 
Network, will help attract highly skilled workers to carry out 
the agency's important work now and into the future.
    The Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1980 directs the Chairman 
to delegate to the Executive Director for Operations (EDO) 
general oversight and management of the NRC staff under the 
Chairman's ``direction and supervision.''\41\ Consistent with 
this existing authority, section 501(f) directs the Chairman to 
delegate the use of the hiring and compensation authority. The 
Committee expects the Chairman will be ultimately responsible 
for how this additional authority is executed. Further, the 
Committee intends that, consistent with the Reorganization 
Plan, the Chairman and the EDO will keep the Commission fully 
and currently informed with regard to the use of the hiring and 
compensation authorities provided under section 501.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \41\Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1980, 45 Fed. Reg. 40,561 (June 
16, 1980).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As noted in section 501(b)(3)(C), the Committee intends 
that the NRC utilize the additional hiring authority to recruit 
highly specialized or exceptionally well-qualified individuals 
for all levels of NRC staffing--not just senior-level 
positions. Integrating new staff throughout different offices 
and at various levels should strengthen the NRC's overall 
organizational health. The new authority is not limited to the 
hiring and compensation authorities' specifically listed 
positions, but the Committee intends that positions filled 
under this section are associated with the fulfilling of the 
licensing and regulatory oversight mission of the Commission. 
It is the Committee's expectation that specific projects, 
potentially first-of-a-kind reactor designs or reviews that may 
require additional attention due to critical public interest, 
would be good candidates to use the term-limited appointments.
    Annual budget requirements imposed by NEIMA have limited 
the NRC's ability to quickly adapt to shifting workforce needs 
and to modernize its information technology infrastructure.\42\ 
To address these challenges, the ADVANCE Act amends the 
limitations on corporate support costs to give more flexibility 
to the NRC to fund initiatives that provide indirect benefits 
to the agency's mission critical activities. Section 502 amends 
the corporate support spending caps and definition under NEIMA 
by limiting the cap to 30 percent of the NRC's annual budget 
and removing certain activities from the calculation of 
corporate support costs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \42\U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Energy Innovation 
and Modernization Act (NEIMA)--Implementation, Impacts, and 
Recommendations for Improvement of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission's Annual Budget Justification; Fees and Charges; Performance 
and Reporting; and Accurate Invoicing p. 6-8, https://www.nrc.gov/docs/
ML2123/ML21237A033.pdf.
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    The Committee is concerned that the Commission did not 
consistently meet previously established corporate support 
limitations.\43\ Based on projected growth in licensing 
activities, the Committee expects the Commission's budget 
authority will grow in coming years. Revising the cap to 30 
percent should assist the agency in near-term budget 
allocation. Because the cap is set as a proportion of total 
budget authority, if the increase in licensing and regulatory 
work materializes as expected, the Commission should strictly 
adhere to this revised cap.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \43\In FY24, NRC's corporate support was approximately 30.2 percent 
of total budget authority. In FY23, corporate support was approximately 
31 percent of total budget authority. In FY22 corporate support was 
approximately 30 percent of total budget authority and FY22 was the 
only year NRC reached the NEIMA cap. In FY21, corporate support was 
approximately 31 percent of total budget authority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Section 102(c) of NEIMA directed the Commission to develop 
performance metrics and milestone schedules for requested 
activities of the Commission. Since the required generic 
schedules were established on July 16, 2019, the NRC has not 
modified a single generic milestone. Additionally, according to 
the NRC, these generic milestone schedules are achieved for 
nearly every licensing action.\44\ Section 503 of the ADVANCE 
Act requires the Commission to periodically review previously 
established metrics and milestones to be as reasonably 
efficient as possible. The Committee intends for the updated 
metrics and milestones to be more ambitious than the existing 
timeframes. Generic milestones and metrics that are reached 
nearly 100 percent of the time should not be characterized as 
``as reasonably efficient as possible.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \44\See U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, supra note 2, at 28, 
29.
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                        TITLE VI--MISCELLANEOUS

    Title VI creates a grant program through the U.S. 
Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration to 
provide economic development assistance and funding for 
community advisory panels in communities affected by a nuclear 
power plant closure. These communities suffer significant 
financial and economic impacts through the loss of tax revenue 
and jobs following plant closures.\45\ Furthermore, these 
communities currently bear the responsibility of hosting spent 
nuclear fuel storage facilities in the absence of action by the 
Federal government to provide for consolidated storage or 
permanent disposal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \45\See, for example, A Legislative Hearing to Examine S. 2372, The 
American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2021, and S. 190, the Stranded 
Act of 2021: Hearing Before the S. Comm. on Environment and Public 
Works., 117th Cong. (February 9, 2022) (testimony of Mayor David 
Knabel), https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/
hearings?ID=CE32DD15-15E1-4729-94FD-FF1D7250D836.
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                     Objectives of the Legislation

    The objectives of S. 1111, the ADVANCE Act, are to enable 
the development and deployment of nuclear energy technologies 
to support the nation's energy needs with reliable and diverse 
electric generation, and to reduce emissions. The bill seeks 
to: enhance United States global leadership in nuclear energy; 
encourage deployment of new nuclear energy technologies; help 
preserve the existing domestic fleet of nuclear power plants; 
strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel cycle and supply chain 
infrastructure; fund environmental cleanup of legacy abandoned 
mining sites on Tribal lands; and improve Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC) performance and workforce capacity.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis


               SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents

    This section gives the Act the short title of the 
``Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for 
Clean Energy Act of 2023'' or ``ADVANCE Act of 2023'' and 
provides the table of contents.

Sec. 2. Definitions

    This section defines the terms used in this Act.

                  TITLE I--AMERICAN NUCLEAR LEADERSHIP

Sec. 101. International nuclear reactor export and innovation 
        activities

    This section requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) to coordinate all work of the Commission relating 
to: (1) nuclear reactor import and export licensing; and (2) 
international regulatory cooperation and assistance relating to 
nuclear reactors.
    The Commission must also coordinate international 
activities with respect to the establishment of: (1) certain 
technical standards; (2) nuclear regulatory organizations and 
legal frameworks; and (3) exchange programs and training to 
other countries. The section further provides that the 
Commission's fee recovery requirements do not apply to these 
activities.
    The Commission is authorized to establish the International 
Nuclear Reactor Export and Innovation Branch within the 
Commission's Office of International Programs.

Sec. 102. Denials of certain domestic licenses for national security 
        purposes

    This section defines ``covered fuel'' as enriched uranium 
that is fabricated into fuel assemblies by an entity that is: 
(1) owned or controlled by Russia or China; or (2) organized 
under the laws of Russia or China. The section prohibits the 
possession or ownership of covered fuel, unless the Commission 
specifically authorizes such possession or ownership.
    This section also directs the Commission to notify the 
Secretary of Energy and Secretary of State within 30 days of 
receipt of an application to possess or own covered fuel. The 
Commission may not issue a license if the Secretary of Energy 
and Secretary of State jointly determine, within 180 days, that 
possession or ownership of covered fuel poses a threat to the 
national security of the United States.

Sec. 103. Export license requirements

    This section ensures advanced nuclear technologies approved 
for export are in compliance with nonproliferation standards.

Sec. 104. Coordinated international engagement

    This section requires the Secretary of Commerce and 
Secretary of Energy to establish an initiative to modernize 
civil nuclear outreach to embarking civil nuclear energy 
nations. Qualifying nations are nations that do not have a 
civil nuclear program, are developing or expanding a civil 
nuclear program, or are pursuing the development of advanced 
nuclear reactor technology, and which are not listed in this 
section as excluded from the qualification.
    The initiative requires the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) 
coordinate outreach to the private investment community to 
create public-private financing relationships to help to export 
civil nuclear technology to embarking civil nuclear energy 
nations; (2) coordinate the work of the Executive Branch; and 
(3) improve the regulatory framework for exporting and 
importing of items under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of 
Commerce.
    The initiative requires the Secretary of Energy to: (1) 
assist nongovernmental organizations and Federal agencies to 
provide education and training to foreign governments for 
nuclear safety, security and safeguards; (2) assist the 
International Atomic Energy Agency to expand support to 
embarking civil nuclear energy nations for nuclear safety, 
security, and safeguards; and (3) assist U.S. nuclear energy 
companies to integrate security and safeguards into their 
international outreach.

      TITLE II--DEVELOPING AND DEPLOYING NEW NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES

Sec. 201. Fees for advanced nuclear reactor application review

    This section amends the Nuclear Energy Innovation and 
Modernization Act to set a specific rate for fees assessed and 
charged to an entity that has: (1) submitted to the Commission 
a license application for an advanced nuclear reactor; or (2) 
submitted to the Commission a licensing project plan describing 
pre-application activities for a future license application for 
an advanced nuclear reactor. The revised rate for pre-
application activities sunsets on September 30, 2029.
    The rate equals the hourly rate calculated by the 
Commission for mission-direct program salaries and benefits for 
the nuclear reactor safety program. Mission-indirect program 
support and agency support expenses that would otherwise be 
charged to the applicant are excluded from the Commission's fee 
recovery requirements.

Sec. 202. Advanced nuclear reactor prizes

    This section authorizes the Secretary of Energy to award a 
prize in an amount equal to the fees assessed by the Commission 
for activities related to the review and approval of the first 
operating license or combined operating license with a finding 
issued pursuant to 10 C.F.R. 52.103g for an advanced nuclear 
reactor issued to a non-Federal entity or the Tennessee Valley 
Authority.
    The Secretary is authorized to make additional awards for 
the first advanced reactor that: (1) uses isotopes derived from 
spent nuclear fuel as fuel for the reactor; (2) is part of a 
nuclear integrated energy system; (3) is used for nonelectric 
application; or (4) is licensed under the new technology-
inclusive regulatory framework required by the Nuclear Energy 
Innovation and Modernization Act.
    An eligible entity that receives an award is not required 
to repay that award or pay a dividend or interest on the award.

Sec. 203. Report on unique licensing considerations relating to the use 
        of nuclear energy for nonelectric applications

    This section directs the Commission to submit a report to 
Congress, not later than nine months after the date of 
enactment, identifying unique licensing issues or requirements 
related to the: (1) flexible operation of nuclear reactors; (2) 
use of nuclear reactors for nonelectric applications; and (3) 
colocation of nuclear reactors with industrial plants or other 
facilities.
    Nonelectric applications include hydrogen or other liquid 
and gaseous fuel or chemical production; water desalination and 
wastewater treatment; heat for industrial processes; district 
heating; energy storage; industrial or medical isotope 
production; and other applications identified by the 
Commission.

Sec. 204. Enabling preparations for the demonstration of advanced 
        nuclear reactors on Department of Energy sites or critical 
        national security infrastructure sites

    This section provides that the Commission's fee recovery 
requirements do not apply to costs of pre-application 
proceedings relating to an early site permit or the review of 
an early site permit associated with advanced nuclear reactor 
demonstrations to be located on DOE or critical national 
security infrastructure sites.

Sec. 205. Clarification on fusion regulation

    This section amends the Nuclear Energy Innovation and 
Modernization Act to exclude fusion reactors from the 
technology-inclusive regulatory framework for advanced nuclear 
fission reactors.

Sec. 206. Regulatory issues for nuclear facilities at brownfield sites

    This section directs the Commission to identify and report 
on regulations, guidance, or policy necessary to license and 
oversee nuclear facilities at brownfield sites, including sites 
with retired fossil fuel facilities. The Commission must 
consider how existing site infrastructure can be reused and how 
early site permits, plant parameter envelopes, or standardized 
applications for similar sites may be used in licensing nuclear 
facilities at brownfield sites.
    The Commission must also develop and implement strategies 
or initiate a rulemaking to enable and support the licensing of 
nuclear facilities at brownfield sites. The Commission shall 
consider: existing site infrastructure; existing emergency 
preparedness organizations and planning; the availability of 
historical site-specific environmental data; previously 
approved environmental reviews; potential decommissioning 
activities; and community engagement and experience with energy 
production.

Sec. 207. Appalachian Regional Commission nuclear energy development

    This section authorizes the Appalachian Regional Commission 
to provide assistance to individuals or entities in the 
Appalachian region to: (1) conduct research to support siting, 
constructing, and operating a nuclear facility at a brownfield 
site; (2) assist with workforce training or retraining for a 
nuclear facility at a brownfield site; and (3) engage with the 
Commission, the DOE, and other Federal agencies.
    This section authorizes $5 million per year for fiscal 
years 2023 through 2026 to carry out this program.

        TITLE III--PRESERVING EXISTING NUCLEAR ENERGY GENERATION

Sec. 301. Investment by allies

    This section allows certain foreign entities to receive a 
license described in sections 103(d) or 104(d) of the Atomic 
Energy Act of 1954 for a nuclear utilization facility if the 
Commission determines that issuing such license is not inimical 
to the common defense and security or the health and safety of 
the public. This section applies to: (1) an entity that is 
owned, controlled, or dominated by the Republic of India or a 
government of a country that is a member of Organisation for 
Economic Co-operation and Development on the date of enactment; 
(2) a corporation that is incorporated in those countries; or 
(3) an alien who is a national of those countries.
    An entity that has been subject to sanctions under the 
Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act is still 
subject to the existing licensing prohibition.

Sec. 302. Extension of the Price-Anderson Act

    This section extends section 170 of the Atomic Energy Act 
of 1954, commonly known as the Price-Anderson Act, from the 
current expiration date of December 31, 2025, to December 31, 
2045.

    TITLE IV--NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE, SUPPLY CHAIN, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND 
                               WORKFORCE

Sec. 401. Report on advanced methods of manufacturing and construction 
        for nuclear energy applications

    This section directs the Commission to submit a report to 
Congress, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment, 
on licensing and safety issues for innovative nuclear energy 
applications related to manufacturing and construction.

Sec. 402. Nuclear energy traineeship

    This section establishes a new traineeship subprogram under 
the University Nuclear Leadership Program to provide focused 
training to meet critical mission needs of the Commission and 
other nuclear workforce needs relating to nuclear safety and 
tradecraft.

Sec. 403. Report on Commission readiness and capacity to license 
        additional conversion and enrichment capacity to reduce 
        reliance on uranium from Russia

    This section directs the Commission to submit a report to 
Congress, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment, 
on the readiness and capacity of the Commission to license 
additional conversion and enrichment capacity and fuel cycle 
facilities to reduce reliance on Russian nuclear fuel.
    The report must analyze how the Commission's capacity to 
license additional conversion and enrichment capabilities at 
new and existing fuel cycle facilities may restrict the 
Commission's readiness to review advanced nuclear reactor 
applications.

Sec. 404. Annual report on the spent nuclear fuel and high-level 
        radioactive waste inventory in the United States

    This section directs the Secretary of Energy to annually 
submit a report to Congress that describes the annual and 
cumulative payments made by the United States to the holder of 
a standard contract due to a partial breach of the contract 
under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982\46\ resulting in 
financial damages to the holder. The report must also quantify 
the amount spent to reduce projected legal payments, account 
for actions taken in the prior fiscal year with respect to 
interim storage, and describe activities to develop and deploy 
technologies and fuels that enhance the safe transportation and 
storage of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \46\42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sec. 405. Authorization of appropriations for superfund actions at 
        abandoned mining sites on Tribal land

    This section authorizes appropriations for the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to 
conduct response actions, including removal and remedial 
planning activities, studies and other actions taken pursuant 
to Superfund authorities at abandoned mine land on Tribal land. 
It also authorizes appropriations for the Administrator to 
conduct remedial and removal actions under Superfund at 
similarly located eligible non-National Priorities List sites 
and sites listed on the National Priorities list. This section 
also directs the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry to perform health assessments at each eligible non-
National Priority List site located on Tribal land.
    The Administrator may provide financial assistance to 
Tribal governments and other specified Tribal entities. Grant 
funds may be used for technical assistance or response actions.
    The Administrator shall coordinate with any applicable 
Indian Tribe when selecting and prioritizing sites and carrying 
out response actions.

Sec. 406. Development, qualification, and licensing of advanced nuclear 
        fuel concepts

    This section directs the Commission to establish an 
initiative to enhance preparedness and coordination to qualify 
and license advanced nuclear fuel.
    The Commission must, within 180 days of enactment, enter 
into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Energy 
to: (1) share technical expertise and knowledge to support the 
testing and safety analysis of advanced nuclear fuel; and (2) 
ensure that DOE and the Commission have sufficient technical 
expertise and facilities to support the evaluation of 
regulatory approval for advanced nuclear fuel.
    The Commission must, within one year of enactment, submit a 
report to Congress on the Commission's preparedness to review 
and qualify advanced nuclear fuels, activities undertaken under 
the memorandum of understanding, necessary research, and other 
challenges or considerations with respect to advanced nuclear 
fuels.

                TITLE V--IMPROVING COMMISSION EFFICIENCY

Sec. 501. Commission workforce

    This section authorizes the appointment, without regard to 
the civil service laws, of up to 15 permanent positions for 
fiscal year 2024 and 10 permanent positions for each fiscal 
year thereafter with highly specialized scientific, 
engineering, and technical competencies and 15 term-limited 
positions for fiscal year 2024 and 10 term-limited positions 
for each fiscal year thereafter for the same competencies. It 
also authorizes the appointment of 15 permanent positions for 
fiscal year 2024 and 10 permanent positions for each fiscal 
year thereafter to be filled by exceptionally well-qualified 
individuals necessary to fulfill the mission of the Commission 
and 15 term-limited positions for fiscal year 2024 and 10 term-
limited positions for each fiscal year thereafter for the same 
exceptionally well-qualified individuals. The positions 
appointed under this section may receive hiring bonuses. The 
hiring authority under this section is to be used to fill 
entry, mid, and senior levels of positions to the extent 
practicable.
    This section also allows the Commission to establish and 
fill positions compensated at the basic rate of pay equal to 
level III of the Executive Schedule for up to 10 positions per 
fiscal year, not to exceed 50 positions total, with highly 
specialized scientific, engineering, and technical 
competencies, and up to 10 positions per fiscal year, not to 
exceed 50 positions total, to be filled by exceptionally well-
qualified individuals necessary to fulfill the mission of the 
Commission. Employees who demonstrate exceptional performance 
may receive a one-time performance bonus no less frequently 
than once every six years.
    In filling these positions and awarding the one-time 
performance bonus, the Commission must follow the Merit Systems 
Principles in section 2301 of title 5 of the United States Code 
to the maximum extent practicable.
    The Commission must delegate the authority under this 
subsection to establish and fill positions to the Executive 
Director for Operations, pursuant to the Reorganization Plan 
No. 1 of 1980.
    The Commission must annually report on the total number and 
positions of persons appointed and compensated, including the 
use of one-time performance bonuses, under the authority 
provided in this section. The annual report must also include 
an assessment of critical workforce needs, other skillsets 
necessary for the Commission, and plans to assess, develop, and 
implement staff performance standards, training procedures, and 
schedules.
    Not later than September 30, 2032, the Commission must 
submit a report to Congress with the Commission's views on the 
effectiveness of the authorities in this section and make 
recommendations with respect to whether the authorities 
provided should be continued, modified, or discontinued.

Section 502. Commission corporate support funding

    This section directs the Commission to submit a report to 
Congress, not later than three years after the date of 
enactment, describing: (1) the Commission's implementation of 
the budgetary authority caps for corporate support established 
under section 102(a)(3) of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and 
Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2215(a)(3)); and (2) whether the 
Commission is meeting and is expected to meet the total caps 
under that section.
    This section also freezes corporate support limitations at 
30 percent and excludes costs associated with unused office 
space or for salaries, travel, and support of the Office of the 
Commission from the corporate support cost definition.

Section 503. Performance and reporting update

    This section requires the Commission to periodically review 
and assess performance metrics and milestone schedules. The 
Commission must revise the metrics and schedules to be the most 
efficient as is reasonably achievable.

                        TITLE VI --MISCELLANEOUS

Section 601. Nuclear closure communities

    This section authorizes appropriations for the Secretary of 
Commerce to establish a grant program to assist with economic 
development and fund community advisory boards in communities 
impacted by a nuclear power plant that, as of the date of 
enactment, has ceased or plans to cease operations.

Sec. 602. Technical correction

    This section makes a technical correction to the Atomic 
Energy Act to permit the Commission to issue a license for a 
research and test reactor if not more than 75 percent of the 
annual costs to the licensee of owning and operating the 
facility are devoted to the sale of non-energy services, energy 
services, or a combination of non-energy services and energy 
services.

Sec. 603. Report on engagement with the Government of Canada with 
        respect to nuclear waste issues in the Great Lakes Basin

    This section requires the Commission to submit a report to 
Congress describing any engagement between the Commission and 
the Government of Canada with respect to nuclear waste issues 
in the Great Lakes Basin.

                          Legislative History

    On March 30, 2023, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Ranking 
Member of the Committee, introduced S. 1111, the Accelerating 
Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act 
of 2023 (ADVANCE Act). Senator Tom Carper, Chair of the 
Committee, Senator Whitehouse, and Senators Barrasso, Crapo, 
Booker, Graham, Kelly, Risch, and Heinrich joined as original 
cosponsors of the legislation. Additional cosponsors include 
Committee members Senators Cardin, Lummis, Ricketts, Ranking 
Member of the Committee's Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, 
and Nuclear Safety, Cramer, and Wicker as well as non-Committee 
members Senators Sinema, Coons, Warner, Gillibrand, and 
Manchin.

                                Hearings

    In the 117th Congress, the Committee held a legislative 
hearing on February 9, 2022, entitled, ``A Legislative Haring 
to Examine S. 2373, the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 
2021, and S. 1290, the STRANDED Act of 2021.'' The purpose of 
this hearing was to allow committee members to consider 
stakeholder testimony regarding two pieces of legislation 
within the Committee's jurisdiction related to nuclear energy 
and materials. In the 116th Congress, the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works held a legislative hearing on 
August 5, 2020, entitled ``Hearing to Examine a Discussion 
Draft Bill, S. _, American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 
2020.'' These hearings informed the development of the ADVANCE 
Act.

              Committee Consideration and Roll Call Votes

    On May 31, 2023, the Committee met to consider S. 1111. 
During the business meeting, the Committee approved by voice 
vote with a quorum present an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute offered by Chairman Carper and Ranking Member 
Capito.
    The Committee on Environment and Public Works reported the 
bill, as amended, favorably by a roll call vote of 16 ayes and 
3 nays. Voting in favor were Senators Carper, Capito, Cardin, 
Whitehouse, Kelly, Padilla, Fetterman, Stabenow, Boozman, 
Wicker, Graham, Ricketts, Lummis, Sullivan, Cramer, and Mullin. 
Voting against were Senators Markey, Merkley, and Sanders.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee finds that S. 1111 
does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it 
cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of 
individuals.

                          Mandates Assessment

    In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(UMRA; Public Law 104-4), the Committee finds that S. 1111 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA and would impose costs on state, local, or 
Tribal governments.

                          Cost of Legislation

    The Congressional Budget Office estimate of the cost of S. 
1111 has been requested but was not received at the time the 
report was filed. When available, the Chairman will request 
that it be printed in the Congressional Record for the advice 
of the Senate.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill 
as reported are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in [black brackets], new matter is printed 
in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown 
in roman:

Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SECTION 1. [42 U.S.C. 2011 NOTE] SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

  (a) Short Title.-- This Act may be cited as the ``Nuclear 
Energy Innovation and Modernization Act''.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 3. [42 U.S.C. 2215 NOTE] DEFINITIONS.

  In this Act:
          (1) Advanced nuclear reactor.--* * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (2) Advanced nuclear reactor applicant.--The term 
        `advanced nuclear reactor applicant' means an entity 
        that has submitted to the Commission an application to 
        receive a license for an advanced nuclear reactor under 
        the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
          [(2)] (3) Advanced nuclear reactor fuel.--The term 
        ``advanced nuclear reactor fuel'' means fuel for use in 
        an advanced nuclear reactor or a research and test 
        reactor, including fuel with a low uranium enrichment 
        level of not greater than 20 percent.
          (4) Advanced nuclear reactor pre-applicant.--The term 
        `advanced nuclear reactor pre-applicant' means an 
        entity that has submitted to the Commission a licensing 
        project plan for the purposes of submitting a future 
        application to receive a license for an advanced 
        nuclear reactor under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 
        U.S.C. 2011 et seq.)
          (5) Agency support.--The term `agency support' means 
        the resources of the Commission that are located in 
        executive, administrative, and other support offices of 
        the Commission, as described in the document of the 
        Commission entitled `FY 2022 Final Fee Rule Work 
        Papers' (or a successor document).
          [(3)] (6) Agreement state.--The term ``Agreement 
        State'' means any State with which the Commission has 
        entered into an effective agreement under section 274 
        b. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 
        2021(b)).
          [(4)] (7) Appropriate congressional committees.--The 
        term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the 
        Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate 
        and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
        of Representatives.
          [(5)] (8) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means 
        the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
          [(6)] (9) Conceptual design assessment.-- [The term]
            (A) In general.--The term
            (B) Exclusions.--The term `corporate support costs' 
        does not include--
                  (i) costs for rent and utilities relating to 
                any and all space in the Three White Flint 
                North building that is not occupied by the 
                Commission; or
                  (ii) costs for salaries, travel, and other 
                support for the Office of the Commission.''. 
                ``conceptual design assessment'' means an 
                early-stage review by the Commission that--
            (A) assesses preliminary design information for 
        consistency with applicable regulatory requirements of 
        the Commission;
            (B) is performed on a set of topic areas agreed to 
        in the licensing project plan; and
            (C) is performed at a cost and schedule agreed to 
        in the licensing project plan.
          [(7)] (10) Corporate support costs.--The term 
        ``corporate support costs'' means expenditures for 
        acquisitions, administrative services, financial 
        management, human resource management, information 
        management, information technology, policy support, 
        outreach, and training, as those categories are 
        described and calculated in Appendix A of the 
        Congressional Budget Justification for Fiscal Year 2018 
        of the Commission.
          (11) Hourly rate for mission-direct program salaries 
        and benefits for the nuclear reactor safety program.--
        The term `hourly rate for mission-direct program 
        salaries and benefits for the Nuclear Reactor Safety 
        Program' means the quotient obtained by dividing--
            (A) the full-time equivalent rate (within the 
        meaning of the document of the Commission entitled `FY 
        2022 Final Fee Rule Work Papers' (or a successor 
        document)) for mission-direct program salaries and 
        benefits for the Nuclear Reactor Safety Program (as 
        determined by the Commission) for a fiscal year; by
            (B) the productive hours assumption for that fiscal 
        year, determined in accordance with the formula 
        established in the document referred to in subparagraph 
        (A) (or a successor document).
          [(8)] (12) Licensing project plan.--The term 
        ``licensing project plan'' means a plan that 
        describes--
            (A) the interactions between an applicant and the 
        Commission; and
            (B) project schedules and deliverables in specific 
        detail to support long-range resource planning 
        undertaken by the Commission and an applicant.
          (13) Mission-direct program salaries and benefits for 
        the nuclear reactor safety program.--The term `mission-
        direct program salaries and benefits for the Nuclear 
        Reactor Safety Program' means the resources of the 
        Commission that are allocated to the Nuclear Reactor 
        Safety Program (as determined by the Commission) to 
        perform core work activities committed to fulfilling 
        the mission of the Commission, as described in the 
        document of the Commission entitled `FY 2022 Final Fee 
        Rule Work Papers' (or a successor document).
          (14) Mission-indirect program support.--The term 
        `mission-indirect program support' means the resources 
        of the Commission that support the core mission-direct 
        activities for the Nuclear Reactor Safety Program of 
        the Commission (as determined by the Commission), as 
        described in the document of the Commission entitled 
        `FY 2022 Final Fee Rule Work Papers' (or a successor 
        document).
          [(9)] (15) Regulatory framework.-- The term 
        ``regulatory framework'' means the framework for 
        reviewing requests for certifications, permits, 
        approvals, and licenses for nuclear reactors.
          [(10)] (16) Requested activity of the commission.--
        The term ``requested activity of the Commission'' 
        means--
            (A) the processing of applications for--
                  (i) design certifications or approvals;
                  (ii) licenses;
                  (iii) permits;
                  (iv) license amendments;
                  (v) license renewals;
                  (vi) certificates of compliance; and
                  (vii) power uprates; and
            (B) any other activity requested by a licensee or 
        applicant.
          [(11)] (17) Research and test reactor.--
            (A) In general.-- The term ``research and test 
        reactor'' means a reactor that--
                  (i) falls within the licensing and related 
                regulatory authority of the Commission under 
                section 202 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 
                1974 (42 U.S.C. 5842); and
                  (ii) is useful in the conduct of research and 
                development activities as licensed under 
                section 104 c. of the Atomic Energy Act (42 
                U.S.C. 2134(c)).
            (B) Exclusion.-- The term ``research and test 
        reactor'' does not include a commercial nuclear 
        reactor.
          [(12)] (18) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means 
        the Secretary of Energy.
          [(13)] (19) Standard design approval.--The term 
        ``standard design approval'' means the approval of a 
        final standard design or a major portion of a final 
        design standard as described in subpart E of part 52 of 
        title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on 
        the date of enactment of this Act).
          [(14)] (20) Technology-inclusive regulatory 
        framework.--The term ``technology-inclusive regulatory 
        framework'' means a regulatory framework developed 
        using methods of evaluation that are flexible and 
        practicable for application to a variety of reactor 
        technologies, including, where appropriate, the use of 
        risk-informed and performance-based techniques and 
        other tools and methods.
          [(15)] (21) Topical report.--

SEC. 102. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION USER FEES AND ANNUAL CHARGES 
                    FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 
                    THEREAFTER.

  (a) Annual Budget Justification.--
          (1) In general.-- * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (3) Limitation on corporate support costs.--With 
        respect to the annual budget justification submitted to 
        Congress, corporate support costs, to the maximum 
        extent practicable, shall not exceed the following 
        percentages of the total budget authority of the 
        Commission requested in the annual budget 
        justification:
            (A) 30 percent for each of fiscal years 2021 and 
        2022.
            [(B) 29 percent for each of fiscal years 2023 and 
        2024.]
            [(C) 28 percent for fiscal year 2025 and each 
        fiscal year thereafter.]
            (B) 30 percent for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal 
        year thereafter.
          (4) International nuclear reactor export and 
        innovation activities.--The Commission shall identify 
        in the annual budget justification international 
        nuclear reactor export and innovation activities 
        described in section 101(a) of the ADVANCE Act of 2023.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (b) Fees and Charges.--
          (1) Annual assessment.--
            (A) In general.--* * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

            (B) Excluded activities described.-- The activities 
        referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii) are the following:
                  (i) Any fee relief activity, as identified by 
                the Commission.
                  (ii) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                  (iii) Costs for activities related to the 
                development of regulatory infrastructure for 
                advanced nuclear reactor technologies, 
                including activities required under section 
                103.
                  (iv) Costs for international nuclear reactor 
                export and innovation activities described in 
                section 101(a) of the ADVANCE Act of 2023.
                  (v) The total costs of mission-indirect 
                program support and agency support that, under 
                paragraph (2)(B), may not be included in the 
                hourly rate charged for fees assessed to 
                advanced nuclear reactor applicants.
                  [(vi) The total costs of mission-indirect 
                program support and agency support that, under 
                paragraph (2)(C), may not be included in the 
                hourly rate charged for fees assessed to 
                advanced nuclear reactor pre-applicants.]
                  (vi) Costs for--
                          (I) activities to review and approve 
                        or disapprove an application for an 
                        early site permit (as defined in 
                        section 52.1 of title 10, Code of 
                        Federal Regulations (or a successor 
                        regulation)) to demonstrate an advanced 
                        nuclear reactor on a Department of 
                        Energy site or critical national 
                        security infrastructure (as defined in 
                        section 327(d) of the John S. McCain 
                        National Defense Authorization Act for 
                        Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232; 
                        132 Stat. 1722)) site; and
                          (II) pre-application activities 
                        relating to an early site permit (as 
                        defined in section 52.1 of title 10, 
                        Code of Federal Regulations (or a 
                        successor regulation)) to demonstrate 
                        an advanced nuclear reactor on a 
                        Department of Energy site or critical 
                        national security infrastructure (as 
                        defined in section 327(d) of the John 
                        S. McCain National Defense 
                        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 
                        (Public Law 115-232; 132 Stat. 1722)) 
                        site.
          [(2) Fees for service or thing of value.--In 
        accordance with section 9701 of title 31, United States 
        Code, the Commission shall assess and collect fees from 
        any person who receives a service or thing of value 
        from the Commission to cover the costs to the 
        Commission of providing the service or thing of value.]
          (2) Fees for service or thing of value.--
            (A) In general.--In accordance with section 9701 of 
        title 31, United States Code, the Commission shall 
        assess and collect fees from any person who receives a 
        service or thing of value from the Commission to cover 
        the costs to the Commission of providing the service or 
        thing of value.
            (B) Advanced nuclear reactor applicants.--The 
        hourly rate charged for fees assessed to advanced 
        nuclear reactor applicants under this paragraph 
        relating to the review of a submitted application 
        described in section 3(1) shall not exceed the hourly 
        rate for mission-direct program salaries and benefits 
        for the Nuclear Reactor Safety Program.
            (C) Advanced nuclear reactor pre-applicants.--The 
        hourly rate charged for fees assessed to advanced 
        nuclear reactor pre-applicants under this paragraph 
        relating to the review of submitted materials as 
        described in the licensing project plan of an advanced 
        nuclear reactor pre-applicant shall not exceed the 
        hourly rate for mission-direct program salaries and 
        benefits for the Nuclear Reactor Safety Program.
  (c) Performance and Reporting.--
          (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
        develop for the requested activities of the 
        Commission--
            (A) performance metrics; and
            (B) milestone schedules.
          (2) Delays in issuance of final safety evaluation.--
        The Executive Director for Operations of the Commission 
        shall inform the Commission of a delay in issuance of 
        the final safety evaluation for a requested activity of 
        the Commission by the completion date required by the 
        performance metrics or milestone schedule under 
        paragraph (1) by not later than 30 days after the 
        completion date.
          (3) Delays in issuance of final safety evaluation 
        exceeding [180] 90 days.--If the final safety 
        evaluation for the requested activity of the Commission 
        described in paragraph (2) is not completed by the date 
        that is [180]90 days after the completion date required 
        by the performance metrics or milestone schedule under 
        paragraph (1), the Commission shall submit to the 
        appropriate congressional committees a timely report 
        describing the delay, including a detailed explanation 
        accounting for the delay and a plan for timely 
        completion of the final safety evaluation.
          (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 established under paragraph 
        (1).
            (B) Revisions.--After each review and assessment 
        under subparagraph (A), the Commission shall revise and 
        improve, as appropriate, the performance metrics and 
        milestone schedules described in that subparagraph to 
        provide the most efficient metrics and schedules 
        reasonably achievable.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (f) Effective Date.--Except as provided in subsection (c), 
this section takes effect on October 1, 2020.
  (g) Cessation of Effectiveness.--Paragraphs (1)(B)(vi) and 
(2)(C) of subsection (b) shall cease to be effective on 
September 30, 2029.

SEC. 103. ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR PROGRAM.

  (a) [42 U.S.C. 2133 note] Licensing.--
          (1) Staged licensing.--* * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (4) Technology-inclusive regulatory framework.--[Not 
        later]
            (A) In general.--Not later than December 31, 2027, 
        the Commission shall complete a rulemaking to establish 
        a technology-inclusive, regulatory framework for 
        optional use by commercial advanced nuclear reactor 
        applicants for new reactor license applications.
            (B) Exclusion of fusion reactors.--For purposes of 
        subparagraph (A), the term `advanced reactor applicant' 
        does not include an applicant seeking a license for a 
        fusion reactor.
  (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.--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 limitations.--
            (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.
            (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) Repayment 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 receives 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.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                    CH. 145--REGULATORY MEASUREMENT

TITLE 46--[SHIPPING]

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


Subtitle II--[VESSELS AND SEAMEN]

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



Part J--[Measurement of Vessels]

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



                  CHAPTER 145--REGULATORY MEASUREMENT

SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL

Sec.
14501. Application.
14502. Measurement.
14503. Certificate of measurement.
14504. Remeasurement.

SUBCHAPTER II--FORMAL SYSTEMS

14511. [Application.]
14511. Appalachian regional energy hub initiative.
14512. Appalachian Regional Commission nuclear energy development.

SUBCHAPTER I--PROGRAMS

14501. APPALACHIAN DEVELOPMENT HIGHWAY SYSTEM

  (a) Purpose.--* * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


14511. APPALACHIAN REGIONAL ENERGY HUB INITIATIVE

  (a) In General.--The Appalachian Regional Commission may 
provide technical assistance to, make grants to, enter into 
contracts with, or otherwise provide amounts to individuals or 
entities in the Appalachian region for projects and 
activities--

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


Sec. 14512. APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION NUCLEAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

  (a) Definitions.--In this section:
          (1) Brownfield site.--The term `brownfield site' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 101 of the 
        Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
        Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601).
          (2) Production facility.--The term `production 
        facility' has the meaning given the term in section 11 
        of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2014).
          (3) Retired fossil fuel site.--The term `retired 
        fossil fuel site' means the site of 1 or more fossil 
        fuel electric generation facilities that are retired or 
        scheduled to retire, including multi-unit facilities 
        that are partially shut down.
          (4) Utilization facility.--The term `utilization 
        facility' has the meaning given the term in section 11 
        of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2014).
  (b) Authority.--The Appalachian Regional Commission may 
provide technical assistance to, make grants to, enter into 
contracts with, or otherwise provide amounts to individuals or 
entities in the Appalachian region for projects and 
activities--
          (1) to conduct research and analysis regarding the 
        economic impact of siting, constructing, and operating 
        a production facility or a utilization facility at a 
        brownfield site, including a retired fossil fuel site;
          (2) to assist with workforce training or retraining 
        to perform activities relating to the siting and 
        operation of a production facility or a utilization 
        facility at a brownfield site, including a retired 
        fossil fuel site; and
          (3) to engage with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
        the Department of Energy, and other Federal agencies 
        with expertise in civil nuclear energy.
    (c) Limitation on Available Amounts.--Of the cost of any 
project or activity eligible for a grant under this section--
          (1) except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), not 
        more than 50 percent may be provided from amounts made 
        available to carry out this section;
          (2) in the case of a project or activity to be 
        carried out in a county for which a distressed county 
        designation is in effect under section 14526, not more 
        than 80 percent may be provided from amounts made 
        available to carry out this section; and
          (3) in the case of a project or activity to be 
        carried out in a county for which an at-risk county 
        designation is in effect under section 14526, not more 
        than 70 percent may be provided from amounts made 
        available to carry out this section.
  ``(d) Sources of Assistance.--Subject to subsection (c), a 
grant provided under this section may be provided from amounts 
made available to carry out this section, in combination with 
amounts made available--
          (1) under any other Federal program; or
          (2) from any other source.
    (e) Federal Share.--Notwithstanding any provision of law 
limiting the Federal share under any other Federal program, 
amounts made available to carry out this section may be used to 
increase that Federal share, as the Appalachian Regional 
Commission determines to be appropriate.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


            TITLE 40--PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PROPERTY, AND WORKS

             SUBTITLE IV--APPALACHIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT


                       CHAPTER 147--MISCELLANEOUS


14703. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

    (a) In General.--In addition to amounts made available 
under section 14501, there is authorized to be appropriated to 
the Appalachian Regional Commission to carry out this 
subtitle--
          (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (d) Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative.--Of the 
amounts made available under subsection (a), $5,000,000 shall 
be used to carry out section 14511 for each of fiscal years 
2022 through 2026.
  (e) Appalachian Regional Commission Nuclear Energy 
Development.--Of the amounts made available under subsection 
(a), $5,000,000 may be used to carry out section 14512 for each 
of fiscal years 2023 through 2026.
  [(e)] (f) Availability.--Amounts made available under 
subsection (a) remain available until expended.
  [(f)] (g) Allocation of Funds.--Funds approved by the 
Appalachian Regional Commission for a project in a State in the 
Appalachian region pursuant to a congressional directive shall 
be derived from the total amount allocated to the State by the 
Appalachian Regional Commission from amounts appropriated to 
carry out this subtitle.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                       ATOMIC ENERGY ACT OF 1954


[As Amended Through P.L. 108-458, December 17, 2004]

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



CHAPTER 1. DECLARATION, FINDINGS, AND PURPOSE

    Section 1. Declaration.--Atomic energy is capable of 
application for peaceful as well as military purposes. It is 
therefore declared to be the policy of the United States that--

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 103. COMMERCIAL LICENSES.--

    (a) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (d) No license under this section may be given to any 
person or activities which are not under or within the 
jurisdiction of the United States, except for the export of 
production or utilization facilities under terms of an 
agreement for cooperation arranged pursuant to section 123, or 
except under the provisions of section 109. No license may be 
issued to an alien or [any any] anypara.rporation or other 
entity if the Commission knows or has reason to believe it is 
owned, controlled, or dominated by an alien, a foreign 
corporation, or a foreign government. In any event, no license 
may be issued to any person within the United States if, in the 
opinion of the Commission, the issuance of a license to such 
person would be inimical to the common defense and security or 
to the health and safety of the public.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 104. MEDICAL THERAPY AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.--

  (a) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    [(c) The Commission]
    c. Research and Development Activities.--
          (1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), 
        the Commission is authorized to issue licenses to 
        persons applying therefor for utilization and 
        production facilities useful in the conduct of research 
        and development activities of the types specified in 
        section 2051 of this title. [The Commission]
          (2) Regulation.--The Commission is directed to impose 
        only such minimum amount of regulation of the licensee 
        as the Commission finds will permit the Commission to 
        fulfill its obligations under this chapter to promote 
        the common defense and security and to protect the 
        health and safety of the public and will permit the 
        conduct of widespread and diverse research and 
        development.
          (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. [The Commission is 
        authorized to issue licenses under this section for 
        utilization facilities useful in the conduct of 
        research and development activities of the types 
        specified in section 2051 of this title in which the 
        licensee sells research and testing services and energy 
        to others, subject to the condition that the licensee 
        shall recover not more than 75 percent of the annual 
        costs to the licensee of owning and operating the 
        facility through sales of nonenergy services, energy, 
        or both, other than research and development or 
        education and training, of which not more than 50 
        percent may be through sales of energy.]

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    Sec. 169. No Subsidy.--No funds of the Commission shall be 
employed in the construction or operation of facilities 
licensed under section 103 or 104 except under contract or 
other arrangement entered into pursuant to section 31.

[42 U.S.C. 2209]

ATOMIC ENERGY ACT OF 1954 (This section is commonly referred to as the 
                          Price-Anderson Act).

           * * * * * * *

SEC. 170. INDEMNIFICATION AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.--

    (a) Requirement of Financial Protection for Licensees.--
           * * * * * * *
    (c) Indemnification of Licensees by Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission.--The Commission shall, with respect to licenses 
issued between August 30, 1954, and [December 31, 2025] 
December 31, 2045, for which it requires financial protection 
of less than $560,000,000, agree to indemnify and hold harmless 
the licensee and other persons indemnified, as their interest 
may appear, from public liability arising from nuclear 
incidents which is in excess of the level of financial 
protection required of the licensee. The aggregate indemnity 
for all persons indemnified in connection with each nuclear 
incident shall not exceed $500,000,000, excluding costs of 
investigating and settling claims and defending suits for 
damage: Provided, however, That this amount of indemnity shall 
be reduced by the amount that the financial protection required 
shall exceed $60,000,000. Such a contract of indemnification 
shall cover public liability arising out of or in connection 
with the licensed activity. With respect to any production or 
utilization facility for which a construction permit is issued 
between August 30, 1954, and [December 31, 2025] December 31, 
2045, the requirements of this subsection shall apply to any 
license issued for such facility subsequent to [December 31, 
2025] December 31, 2045.
  d. Indemnification of Contractors by Department of Energy.--
(1)(A) In addition to any other authority the Secretary of 
Energy (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') may 
have, the Secretary shall, until [December 31, 2025] December 
31, 2045, enter into agreements of indemnification under this 
subsection with any person who may conduct activities under a 
contract with the Department of Energy that involve the risk of 
public liability and that are not subject to financial 
protection requirements under subsection b. or agreements of 
indemnification under subsection c. or k.
           * * * * * * *
    (j) Contracts in Advance of Appropriations.--In 
administering the provisions of this section, the Commission or 
the Secretary, as appropriate, may make contracts in advance of 
appropriations and incur obligations without regard to sections 
1341, 1342, 1349, 1350, and 1351, and subchapter II of chapter 
15, of title 31, United States Code.
    (k) Exemption From Financial Protection Requirement for 
Nonprofit Educational Institutions.--With respect to any 
license issued pursuant to section 53, 63, 81, 104 a., or 104 
c. for the conduct of educational activities to a person found 
by the Commission to be a nonprofit educational institution, 
the Commission shall exempt such licensee from the financial 
protection requirement of subsection a. With respect to 
licenses issued between August 30, 1954, and [December 31, 
2025] December 31, 2045, for which the Commission grants such 
exemption:
          (1) the Commission shall agree to indemnify and hold 
        harmless the licensee and other persons indemnified, as 
        their interests may appear, from public liability in 
        excess of $250,000 arising from nuclear incidents. The 
        aggregate indemnity for all persons indemnified in 
        connection with each nuclear incident shall not exceed 
        $500,000,000, including such legal costs of the 
        licensee as are approved by the Commission;
          (2) such contracts of indemnification shall cover 
        public liability arising out of or in connection with 
        the licensed activity; and shall include damage to 
        property of persons indemnified, except property which 
        is located at the site of and used in connection with 
        the activity where the nuclear incident occurs; and
          (3) such contracts of indemnification, when entered 
        into with a licensee having immunity from public 
        liability because it is a State agency, shall provide 
        also that the Commission shall make payments under the 
        contract on account of activities of the licensee in 
        the same manner and to the same extent as the 
        Commission would be required to do if the licensee were 
        not such a State agency.
    Any licensee may waive an exemption to which it is entitled 
under this subsection. With respect to any production or 
utilization facility for which a construction permit is issued 
between August 30, 1954, and [December 31, 2025] December 31, 
2045, the requirements of this subsection shall apply to any 
license issued for such facility subsequent to [December 31, 
2025] December 31, 2045.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (p) Reports to Congress.--The Commission and the Secretary 
shall submit to the Congress by [December 31, 2021] December 
31, 2041, detailed reports concerning the need for continuation 
or modification of the provisions of this section, taking into 
account the condition of the nuclear industry, availability of 
private insurance, and the state of knowledge concerning 
nuclear safety at that time, among other relevant factors, and 
shall include recommendations as to the repeal or modification 
of any of the provisions of this section.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2009

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


     DIVISION C--ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2009

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



Title III--Department of Energy

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



SEC. 313. [42 U.S.C. 16274A] UNIVERSITY NUCLEAR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy, the Administrator 
of the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the 
Chairman of the [Nuclear Regulatory] Commission shall jointly 
establish a program, to be known as the ``University Nuclear 
Leadership Program''.
    (b) Use of Funds.--
          (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        and subsection (c) amounts made available to carry out 
        the Program shall be used to provide financial 
        assistance for scholarships, fellowships, and research 
        and development projects at institutions of higher 
        education in areas relevant to the programmatic mission 
        of the applicable Federal agency, with an emphasis on 
        providing the financial assistance with respect to 
        research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
        application activities relevant to civilian advanced 
        nuclear reactors including, but not limited to--

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (c) Nuclear Energy Traineeship Subprogram.--
          (1) In general.--The Commission shall establish, as a 
        subprogram of the Program, a nuclear energy traineeship 
        subprogram under which the Commission, in coordination 
        with institutions of higher education and trade 
        schools, shall competitively award traineeships that 
        provide focused training to meet critical mission needs 
        of the Commission and nuclear workforce needs, 
        including needs relating to the nuclear tradecraft 
        workforce.
          (2) Requirements.--In carrying out the nuclear energy 
        traineeship subprogram described in paragraph (1), the 
        Commission shall--
            (A) coordinate with the Secretary of Energy to 
        prioritize the funding of traineeships that focus on--
                  (i) nuclear workforce needs; and
                  (ii) critical mission needs of the 
                Commission;
            (B) encourage appropriate partnerships among--
                  (i) National Laboratories;
                  (ii) institutions of higher education;
                  (iii) trade schools;
                  (iv) the nuclear energy industry; and
                  (v) other entities, as the Commission 
                determines to be appropriate; and
            (C) on an annual basis, evaluate nuclear workforce 
        needs for the purpose of implementing traineeships in 
        focused topical areas that--
                  (i) address the workforce needs of the 
                nuclear energy community; and
                  (ii) support critical mission needs of the 
                Commission.
    [(c)] (d) Definitions.--In this section:
          [(1) Advanced nuclear reactor; institution of higher 
        education.--The terms ``advanced nuclear reactor'' and 
        ``institution of higher education'' have the meanings 
        given those terms in section 951 of the Energy Policy 
        Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271).]
          (1) Advanced nuclear reactor.--The term `advanced 
        nuclear reactor' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 951(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
        U.S.C. 16271(b)).
          (2) Commission.--The term `Commission' means the 
        Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
          (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
        (42 U.S.C. 15801).
          (4) National laboratory.--The term `National 
        Laboratory' has the meaning given the term in section 
        951(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
        16271(b)).
          [(2)] (5) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the 
        University Nuclear Leadership Program established under 
        this section.
  [(d)] (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program for each 
of fiscal years 2021 through 2025--
          (1) $45,000,000 to the Secretary of Energy, of which 
        $15,000,000 shall be for use by the Administrator of 
        the National Nuclear Security Administration; and
          (2) $15,000,000 to the [Nuclear Regulatory] 
        Commission.

                                  [all]