I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 995 

To direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study on the global status 

of the civilian nuclear energy industry, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2023 

Mr. CARTER of Georgia (for himself and Mr. PETERS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study on 

the global status of the civilian nuclear energy industry, 

and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Global Nuclear Energy 

5 Assessment and Cooperation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY ASSESSMENT STUDY. 

7 (a) STUDY REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after 

8 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, 


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1 in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary 

2 of Commerce, the Administrator of the Environmental 

3 Protection Agency, and the Commission, shall conduct a 

4 study on the global status of— 

5 (1) the civilian nuclear energy industry; and 

6 (2) the supply chains of the civilian nuclear en7 ergy industry. 

8 (b) CONTENTS.—The study conducted under sub9 section (a) shall include— 

10 (1) information on the status of the civilian nu11 clear energy industry, the long-term risks to such in12 dustry, and the basis for such risks; 

13 (2) information on how the use of the civilian 

14 nuclear energy industry, relative to other types of 

15 energy industries, can reduce the emission of criteria 

16 pollutants and carbon dioxide; 

17 (3) information on the role the United States 

18 civilian nuclear energy industry plays in United 

19 States foreign policy; 

20 (4) information on the importance of the 

21 United States civilian nuclear energy industry to 

22 countries that are allied to the United States; 

23 (5) information on how the United States may 

24 collaborate with such countries in developing, deploy25 ing, and investing in nuclear technology; 


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1 (6) information on how foreign countries use 

2 nuclear energy when crafting and implementing 

3 their own foreign policy, including such use by for4 eign countries that are strategic competitors; 

5 (7) an evaluation of how nuclear nonprolifera6 tion efforts and nuclear energy safety are affected by 

7 the involvement of the United States in— 

8 (A) international markets; and 

9 (B) setting civilian nuclear energy industry 

10 standards; 

11 (8) an evaluation of how industries in the 

12 United States, other than the civilian nuclear energy 

13 industry, benefit from the generation of electricity 

14 by nuclear power plants; 

15 (9) information on utilities and companies in 

16 the United States that are involved in the civilian 

17 nuclear energy supply chain, including, with respect 

18 to such utilities and companies— 

19 (A) financial challenges; 

20 (B) foreign strategic competition; and 

21 (C) risks to continued operation; and 

22 (10) recommendations for how the United 

23 States may— 


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1 (A) develop a national strategy to increase 

2 the role nuclear energy plays in diplomacy and 

3 strategic energy policy; 

4 (B) develop a strategy to mitigate foreign 

5 competitor’s utilization of their civilian nuclear 

6 energy industries in diplomacy; 

7 (C) align its nuclear energy policy with na8 tional security objectives; and 

9 (D) remove regulatory barriers to the de10 velopment of the United States civilian nuclear 

11 energy supply chain. 

12 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 6 

13 months after the study is conducted under subsection (a), 

14 the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the appropriate 

15 committees of Congress a report on the results of such 

16 study. 

17 SEC. 3. PROGRAM TO TRAIN AND SHARE EXPERTISE. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

19 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, 

20 in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Com21 mission, shall develop and carry out a program under 

22 which the Secretary of Energy shall train foreign nuclear 

23 energy experts and standardize practices. 


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1 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the program 

2 developed under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy 

3 shall— 

4 (1) issue guidance for best safety practices in 

5 the global civilian nuclear energy industry based on 

6 practices established in the United States; 

7 (2) train foreign nuclear energy experts on the 

8 operation and safety practices used by the United 

9 States civilian nuclear energy industry; 

10 (3) review global supply chain issues for foreign 

11 civilian nuclear energy industries; 

12 (4) identify weaknesses and concerns found in 

13 foreign civilian nuclear energy industries; and 

14 (5) establish partnerships with foreign countries 

15 that have developed or are developing civilian nu16 clear energy industries. 

17 (c) FOREIGN NUCLEAR ENERGY EXPERT.—In this 

18 section, the term ‘‘foreign nuclear energy expert’’ does not 

19 include a person who is from a country— 

20 (1) in which intellectual property theft is legal; 

21 (2) that takes actions to undermine the civilian 

22 nuclear energy industry or other critical industries 

23 of the United States; or 

24 (3) which the Secretary of Energy determines is 

25 inimical to the interest of the United States. 


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1 SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR REACTOR EXPORT AND 

2 INNOVATION ACTIVITIES. 

3 (a) COORDINATION.—The Commission shall— 

4 (1) coordinate all work of the Commission relat5 ing to— 

6 (A) issuing a license for the import or ex7 port of a nuclear reactor under section 103 of 

8 the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 

9 2133); and 

10 (B) international regulatory cooperation 

11 and assistance relating to nuclear reactors; and 

12 (2) support— 

13 (A) the consideration of international tech14 nical standards to assist the design, licensing, 

15 and construction of advanced nuclear systems; 

16 (B) efforts to help build competent nuclear 

17 regulatory organizations and legal frameworks 

18 in foreign countries that are seeking to develop 

19 civilian nuclear energy industries; and 

20 (C) exchange programs and training pro21 vided to foreign countries relating to civilian 

22 nuclear energy industry regulation and over23 sight to improve nuclear technology licensing. 

24 (b) CONSULTATION.—In supporting exchange pro25 grams and training under subsection (a)(2)(C), the Com26 mission shall consult with— 


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1 (1) the Secretary of Energy; 

2 (2) the National Laboratories; 

3 (3) the private sector; and 

4 (4) institutions of higher education. 

5 (c) NUCLEAR REACTOR EXPORT AND INNOVATION

6 BRANCH.—The Commission shall establish within the Of7 fice of International Programs of the Commission a 

8 branch, to be known as the ‘‘International Nuclear Reac9 tor Export and Innovation Branch’’, to carry out the nu10 clear reactor export and innovation activities described in 

11 subsection (a) as the Commission determines appropriate. 

12 (d) EXCLUSION OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

13 FROM THE FEE BASE.—Section 102 of the Nuclear En14 ergy Innovation and Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2215) 

15 is amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

17 following: 

18 ‘‘(4) INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR REACTOR EX19 PORT AND INNOVATION ACTIVITIES.—The Commis20 sion shall identify in the annual budget justification 

21 international nuclear reactor export and innovation 

22 activities described in section 4(a) of the Global Nu23 clear Energy Assessment and Cooperation Act.’’; 

24 and 


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1 (2) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by adding at the 

2 end the following: 

3 ‘‘(iv) Costs for international nuclear 

4 reactor export and innovation activities de5 scribed in section 4(a) of the Global Nu6 clear Energy Assessment and Cooperation 

7 Act.’’. 

8 SEC. 5. DENIAL OF CERTAIN DOMESTIC LICENSES FOR NA9 TIONAL SECURITY PURPOSES. 

10 (a) DEFINITION OF COVERED FUEL.—In this sec11 tion, the term ‘‘covered fuel’’ means enriched uranium 

12 that is fabricated into fuel assemblies for nuclear reactors 

13 by an entity that— 

14 (1) is owned or controlled by the Government of 

15 the Russian Federation or the Government of the 

16 People’s Republic of China; or 

17 (2) is organized under the laws of, or otherwise 

18 subject to the jurisdiction of, the Russian Federation 

19 or the People’s Republic of China. 

20 (b) PROHIBITION ON UNLICENSED POSSESSION OR

21 OWNERSHIP OF COVERED FUEL.—Unless specifically au22 thorized by the Commission in a license issued under sec23 tion 53 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 

24 2073), no person subject to the jurisdiction of the Com25 mission may possess or own covered fuel. 


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1 (c) LICENSE TO POSSESS OR OWN COVERED

2 FUEL.— 

3 (1) CONSULTATION REQUIRED PRIOR TO

4 ISSUANCE.—The Commission shall not issue a li5 cense to possess or own covered fuel under section 

6 53 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 

7 2073), unless the Commission has first consulted 

8 with the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of 

9 State before issuing the license. 

10 (2) PROHIBITION ON ISSUANCE OF LICENSE.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara12 graph (C), a license to possess or own covered 

13 fuel shall not be issued if the Secretary of En14 ergy and the Secretary of State make the deter15 mination described in subparagraph (B). 

16 (B) DETERMINATION.— 

17 (i) IN GENERAL.—The determination 

18 referred to in subparagraph (A) is a deter19 mination that possession or ownership, as 

20 applicable, of covered fuel poses a threat to 

21 the national security of the United States 

22 that adversely impacts the physical and 

23 economic security of the United States. 

24 (ii) JOINT DETERMINATION.—A deter25 mination described in clause (i) shall be 


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1 jointly made by the Secretary of Energy 

2 and the Secretary of State. 

3 (iii) TIMELINE.— 

4 (I) NOTICE OF APPLICATION.— 

5 Not later than 30 days after the date 

6 on which the Commission receives an 

7 application for a license to possess or 

8 own covered fuel, the Commission 

9 shall notify the Secretary of Energy 

10 and the Secretary of State of the ap11 plication. 

12 (II) DETERMINATION.—The Sec13 retary of Energy and the Secretary of 

14 State shall have a period of 180 days, 

15 beginning on the date on which the 

16 Commission notifies the Secretary of 

17 Energy and the Secretary of State 

18 under subclause (I) of an application 

19 for a license to possess or own covered 

20 fuel, in which to make the determina21 tion described in clause (i). 

22 (III) COMMISSION NOTIFICA23 TION.—On making the determination 

24 described in clause (i), the Secretary 

25 of Energy and the Secretary of State 


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1 shall immediately notify the Commis2 sion. 

3 (IV) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICA4 TION.—Not later than 30 days after 

5 the date on which the Secretary of 

6 Energy and the Secretary of State no7 tify the Commission under subclause 

8 (III), the Commission shall notify the 

9 appropriate committees of Congress of 

10 the determination. 

11 (V) PUBLIC NOTICE.—Not later 

12 than 15 days after the date on which 

13 the Commission notifies Congress 

14 under subclause (IV) of a determina15 tion made under clause (i), the Com16 mission shall make that determination 

17 publicly available. 

18 (C) EFFECT OF NO DETERMINATION.— 

19 The prohibition described in subparagraph (A) 

20 shall not apply if the Secretary of Energy and 

21 the Secretary of State do not make the deter22 mination described in subparagraph (B) by the 

23 date described in clause (iii)(II) of that sub24 paragraph. 


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1 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON4 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con5 gress’’ means each of the following: 

6 (A) The Committee on Energy and Com7 merce of the House of Representatives. 

8 (B) The Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

9 the House of Representatives. 

10 (C) The Committee on Energy and Nat11 ural Resources of the Senate. 

12 (D) The Committee on Foreign Relations 

13 of the Senate. 

14 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

15 means the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Æ 


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