IB 

Union Calendar No. 580 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8674 

[Report No. 118–686] 

To establish milestone-based development and demonstration projects relating 

to nuclear fuel, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 7, 2024 

Mr. WILLIAMS of New York (for himself and Mr. SORENSEN) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, 

and Technology 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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A BILL 

To establish milestone-based development and demonstration 

projects relating to nuclear fuel, and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Milestones for Ad5 vanced Nuclear Fuel Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MILESTONE-BASED DEVELOPMENT AND DEM7 ONSTRATION PROJECTS. 

8 (a) MILESTONE-BASED DEVELOPMENT AND DEM9 ONSTRATION PROGRAM.—The Nuclear Fuel Security Act 

10 of 2023 (enacted as section 3131 of subtitle C of title 

11 XXXI of division C of the National Defense Authorization 

12 Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31)) is amend13 ed— 

14 (1) in subsection (d)— 

15 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), 

16 and (10) as paragraphs (9), (10), and (11), re17 spectively; and 

18 (B) by inserting after paragraph (7) the 

19 following new paragraph: 

20 ‘‘(8) NATIONAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘Na21 tional Laboratory’ has the meaning given such term 

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

23 U.S.C. 15801).’’. 

24 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub25 section: 


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1 ‘‘(q) APPLICATION OF CERTAIN MILESTONE-BASED

2 DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

4 milestone-based advanced fuel cycle technologies de5 velopment and demonstration projects in accordance 

6 with section 9005 of the Energy Act of 2020 (42 

7 U.S.C. 7256c; enacted as part of title IX of division 

8 Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021) in 

9 carrying out the Nuclear Fuel Security Program and 

10 the HALEU for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Dem11 onstration Projects Program (established pursuant 

12 to subsection (e), and carried out in accordance with 

13 subsections (f) and (h), respectively) in the same 

14 manner and to the same extent as such section 9005 

15 applies to section 846(g) of the Department of En16 ergy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7256(g)). 

17 ‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—In carrying out milestone18 based advanced fuel cycle technologies development 

19 and demonstration projects referred to in paragraph 

20 (1), the Secretary shall support the development and 

21 demonstration of an economically competitive, nu22 clear fuel supply chain by not later than three years 

23 after the date of the enactment of this subsection 

24 that includes domestic uranium production, conver25 sion, enrichment, deconversion, and waste reduction 


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1 for advanced fuels, such as HALEU and other ad2 vanced nuclear reactor fuels, for the following: 

3 ‘‘(A) Department research, development, 

4 and demonstration projects for advanced nu5 clear reactors, including civilian research and 

6 experimental reactors. 

7 ‘‘(B) Advanced nuclear reactors. 

8 ‘‘(C) Strategic radioactive and stable iso9 topes producers, such as energy, medical, space10 based heating and power, and national security 

11 application, and for basic research. 

12 ‘‘(D) Interagency and intra-agency part13 nerships and collaborations, including with the 

14 National Laboratories, the Advanced Research 

15 Projects Agency-Energy, the National Aero16 nautics and Space Administration, the Depart17 ment of Defense, and other relevant Federal 

18 and State departments and agencies, as deter19 mined appropriate by the Secretary. 

20 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY.—Any associated entity is eli21 gible to participate in the projects under this sub22 section if the Secretary has determined such entity 

23 has the necessary resources and expertise. In select24 ing eligible associated entities, the Secretary shall 


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1 select, to the maximum extent practicable, associated 

2 entities that— 

3 ‘‘(A) prioritize novel technologies and proc4 esses; 

5 ‘‘(B) utilize technologies and processes 

6 that reduce nonproliferation risks; and 

7 ‘‘(C) leverage matching funds from non8 Federal sources. 

9 ‘‘(4) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out such 

10 projects, the Secretary shall consult with developers 

11 of advanced nuclear reactors and owners and opera12 tors of electric utilities to review proposed technical 

13 and financial milestones and assist in the develop14 ment of such milestones. 

15 ‘‘(5) SELECTION.—For the associated entities 

16 selected under this subsection, the following condi17 tions shall apply: 

18 ‘‘(A) Consistent with the existing authori19 ties of the Department, the Secretary may ter20 minate an agreement with a selected associated 

21 entity for cause during the performance period. 

22 ‘‘(B) Support under this subsection may 

23 not be used to cover any costs or reimburse24 ment of expenses that are covered by Federal 


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1 funding provided through other support, includ2 ing awards. 

3 ‘‘(6) APPLICATIONS.—A project proposal sub4 mitted under this subsection shall be evaluated 

5 based upon the scientific, technical, and business 

6 merits of such proposal, including consideration of 

7 waste management benefits, through a peer-review 

8 process, which shall include reviewers with appro9 priate expertise from the private sector, electric utili10 ties, the investment community, and nuclear fuel 

11 and supply chain experts. 

12 ‘‘(7) PROJECT MANAGEMENT.—In carrying out 

13 projects under this subsection and assessing the 

14 completion of the milestones developed pursuant to 

15 paragraph (4), the Secretary shall consult with nu16 clear fuel and supply experts representing diverse 

17 perspectives and professional experiences, including 

18 developers of advanced nuclear reactor owners and 

19 operators of electric utilities, to ensure a complete 

20 and thorough review. 

21 ‘‘(8) ANNUAL BRIEFING.—As part of the an22 nual budget request submitted for each fiscal year, 

23 the Secretary shall provide the Committee on 

24 Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 

25 Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 


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1 Natural Resources of the Senate a briefing describ2 ing the selected projects under this subsection dur3 ing the previous fiscal year, the benefits and draw4 backs of milestone-based projects as compared to 

5 traditional project structure funding models, and les6 sons-leaned from project operations.’’. 

7 (b) NUCLEAR FUEL RECYCLING AND VIABILITY TO

8 SUPPORT EXISTING AND FUTURE REACTORS.—Section 

9 953 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16273) 

10 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub11 sections: 

12 ‘‘(c) MILESTONE-BASED DEMONSTRATIONS

13 PROJECTS.—The Secretary shall carry out demonstration 

14 projects under this section as a milestone-based dem15 onstration project in the same manner and to the same 

16 extent as under section 9005 of the Energy Act of 2020 

17 (42 U.S.C. 7256c; enacted as part of title IX of division 

18 Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021), with pri19 ority placed on awarding milestone-based awards to 

20 projects that increase domestic fabrication and recycling 

21 capacity of spent nuclear fuel for advanced fuels. 

22 ‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 

23 date of the date of the enactment of this subsection, the 

24 Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Nu25 clear Energy, shall complete and make publicly available 


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1 a study that analyzes the practicability, potential benefits, 

2 including relating to waste reduction through separation 

3 of high- and low-level waste or utilization of transuranic 

4 materials, and estimated lifecycle costs of the following: 

5 ‘‘(1) Dedicated recycling facilities, and co-loca6 tion with other nuclear energy infrastructure, that 

7 utilize spent nuclear fuel from existing nuclear reac8 tors and future advanced nuclear reactors into usa9 ble nuclear fuel for the following: 

10 ‘‘(A) Commercial light water reactors. 

11 ‘‘(B) Advanced nuclear reactors. 

12 ‘‘(C) Space-based heating and power. 

13 ‘‘(D) Research reactors. 

14 ‘‘(E) Nuclear battery applications. 

15 ‘‘(F) Such other applications as deter16 mined appropriate by the Secretary. 

17 ‘‘(2) Dedicated recycling facilities, and co-loca18 tion with other nuclear energy infrastructure, to uti19 lize high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) (as 

20 such term is defined in section 2001(d) of the En21 ergy Act of 2020 (42 U.S.C. 16281(d)), or other 

22 feedstocks, such as uranium and transuranic mate23 rials, into usable nuclear fuel for the following: 

24 ‘‘(A) Commercial light water reactors. 

25 ‘‘(B) Advanced nuclear reactors. 


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1 ‘‘(C) Space-based power. 

2 ‘‘(D) Research reactors. 

3 ‘‘(E) Nuclear battery applications. 

4 ‘‘(F) Such other applications as deter5 mined appropriate by the Secretary. 

6 ‘‘(3) Utilizing recycled fuel in advanced nuclear 

7 reactors or existing light water reactors as compared 

8 to non-recycled fuel. 

9 ‘‘(4) Dedicated spent nuclear fuel reprocessing 

10 facilities, and co-location with other nuclear energy 

11 infrastructure, to extract certain radioactive and sta12 ble isotopes needed for domestic and international 

13 use, including for the following: 

14 ‘‘(A) Advanced nuclear reactors. 

15 ‘‘(B) Medical, industrial, space-based 

16 power, and nuclear battery applications. 

17 ‘‘(C) Such other applications as deter18 mined appropriate by the Secretary. 

19 ‘‘(5) Commercial associated entities acquiring 

20 spent fuel from operating or shutdown reactors and 

21 any contract or policy revisions that could better fa22 cilitate such transactions. 

23 ‘‘(6) Private sector associated entities that take 

24 title of spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear 

25 reactor sites for any of the following: 


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1 ‘‘(A) Research or reuse. 

2 ‘‘(B) Recycling. 

3 ‘‘(C) Strategic radioactive or stable isotope 

4 extraction. 

5 ‘‘(7) Comprehensive cost-benefit analysis associ6 ated with spent fuel recycling, including consider7 ations of net reduction in spent fuel inventory, sepa8 ration of high- and low-level waste with new storage 

9 requirements, disposal of byproducts from spent fuel 

10 recycling, supply chain impacts, and list of indus11 tries that would benefit from spent fuel recycling by12 products. 

13 ‘‘(8) Policy, legal, or regulatory changes to sup14 port the safe and secure development and deploy15 ment of recycling and waste utilizing reactor tech16 nologies, and any impacts such changes would have 

17 on domestic storage of spent nuclear fuel and dis18 posal through the recycling of spent nuclear fuel.’’. 


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Union Calendar No. 580 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8674 

[Report No. 118–686] 

A BILL 

To establish milestone-based development and demfor other purposes. onstration projects relating to nuclear fuel, and 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


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