I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4066 

To enable high-performance computation and supportive research and nuclear 

energy innovation. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2015 

Mr. GRAYSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To enable high-performance computation and supportive 

research and nuclear energy innovation. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nuclear Innovation 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) ADVANCED FISSION REACTOR.—The term 

9 ‘‘advanced fission reactor’’ means a nuclear fission 

10 reactor with significant improvements over the most 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4066 IH

1 recent generation of nuclear reactors, which may in2 clude inherent safety features, lower waste yields, 

3 greater fuel utilization, superior reliability, resist4 ance to proliferation, and increased thermal effi5 ciency. 

6 (2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 

7 means the Department of Energy. 

8 (3) NATIONAL LABORATORIES.—The term ‘‘Na9 tional Laboratories’’ has the meaning given the term 

10 in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 

11 U.S.C. 15801). 

12 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

13 the Secretary of Energy. 

14 SEC. 3. HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTATION AND SUP15 PORTIVE RESEARCH. 

16 (a) MODELING AND SIMULATION.—The Secretary 

17 shall carry out a program to enhance the Nation’s capa18 bilities to develop new reactor technologies through high19 performance computation modeling and simulation tech20 niques. This program shall coordinate with relevant Fed21 eral agencies through the National Strategic Computing 

22 Initiative created under Executive Order 13702 (July 29, 

23 2015) while taking into account the following objectives: 

24 (1) Utilizing expertise from the private sector, 

25 universities, and National Laboratories to develop 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4066 IH

1 computational software and capabilities that pro2 spective users may access to accelerate research and 

3 development of advanced fission reactor systems, nu4 clear fusion systems, and reactor systems for space 

5 exploration. 

6 (2) Developing computational tools to simulate 

7 and predict nuclear phenomena that may be vali8 dated through physical experimentation. 

9 (3) Increasing the utility of the Department’s 

10 research infrastructure by coordinating with the Ad11 vanced Scientific Computing Research program 

12 within the Office of Science. 

13 (4) Leveraging experience from the Energy In14 novation Hub for Modeling and Simulation. 

15 (5) Ensuring that new experimental and com16 putational tools are accessible to relevant research 

17 communities. 

18 (b) SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.—The Sec19 retary shall consider support for additional research activi20 ties to maximize the utility of its research facilities, includ21 ing physical processes to simulate degradation of materials 

22 and behavior of fuel forms and for validation of computa23 tional tools. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4066 IH

1 SEC. 4. ENABLING NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION. 

2 (a) NATIONAL REACTOR INNOVATION CENTER.—The 

3 Secretary shall carry out a program to enable the testing 

4 and demonstration of reactor concepts to be proposed and 

5 funded by the private sector. The Secretary shall leverage 

6 the technical expertise of relevant Federal agencies and 

7 National Laboratories in order to minimize the time re8 quired to enable construction and operation of privately 

9 funded experimental reactors at National Laboratories or 

10 other Department-owned sites while ensuring reasonable 

11 safety for persons working within these sites. Such reac12 tors shall operate to meet the following objectives: 

13 (1) Enabling physical validation of novel reactor 

14 concepts. 

15 (2) Resolving technical uncertainty and increas16 ing practical knowledge relevant to safety, resilience, 

17 security, and functionality of first-of-a-kind reactor 

18 concepts. 

19 (3) General research and development to im20 prove nascent technologies. 

21 (b) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 180 

22 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec23 retary, in consultation with the National Laboratories, rel24 evant Federal agencies, and other stakeholders, shall 

25 transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech26 nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4066 IH

1 on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report 

2 assessing the Department’s capabilities to authorize, host, 

3 and oversee privately funded fusion and advanced fission 

4 experimental reactors as described under subsection (a). 

5 The report shall address the following: 

6 (1) The Department’s safety review and over7 sight capabilities, including options to leverage ex8 pertise from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

9 and National Laboratories. 

10 (2) Potential sites capable of hosting activities 

11 described under subsection (a). 

12 (3) The efficacy of the Department’s available 

13 contractual mechanisms to partner with the private 

14 sector and Federal agencies, including cooperative 

15 research and development agreements, strategic 

16 partnership projects, and agreements for commer17 cializing technology. 

18 (4) Potential cost structures related to physical 

19 security, decommissioning, liability, and other long 

20 term project costs. 

21 (5) Other challenges or considerations identified 

22 by the Secretary. 

Æ 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS