I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6236 

To streamline nuclear technology regulatory permitting and licensing, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 6, 2023 

Mr. ALLEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To streamline nuclear technology regulatory permitting and 

licensing, 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 ‘‘Nuclear Licensing Ef5 ficiency Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EFFICIENT LICENSING REVIEWS. 

7 (a) GENERAL.—Section 181 of the Atomic Energy 

8 Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2231) is amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘The provisions of’’ and insert10 ing the following: 


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•HR 6236 IH

1 ‘‘(a) ‘The provisions of’ ’’; and 

2 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

3 ‘‘(b) Consistent with the declaration in section 1, the 

4 Commission shall provide for efficient, timely, and predict5 able reviews and proceedings for the granting, suspending, 

6 revoking, or amending of any license or construction per7 mit, or application to transfer control, and in any pro8 ceeding for the issuance or modification of rules and regu9 lations dealing with the activities of licenses.’’. 

10 (b) CONSTRUCTION PERMITS AND OPERATING LI11 CENSES.—Section 185 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 

12 (42 U.S.C. 2235) is amended by adding at the end the 

13 following: 

14 ‘‘c. APPLICATION REVIEWS FOR PRODUCTION AND

15 UTILIZATION FACILITIES OF AN EXISTING SITE.—In re16 viewing an application for an early site permit, construc17 tion permit, operating license, or combined construction 

18 permit and operating license for a production facility or 

19 utilization facility located at the site of a production facil20 ity or utilization facility licensed by the Commission, the 

21 Commission shall, to the extent practicable, use informa22 tion that was part of the licensing basis of the licensed 

23 production facility or utilization facility.’’. 


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•HR 6236 IH

1 SEC. 3. PERFORMANCE METRICS AND MILESTONES. 

2 Section 102(c) of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and 

3 Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2215(c)) is amended— 

4 (1) in paragraph (3)— 

5 (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 

6 ‘‘180’’ and inserting ‘‘90’’; and 

7 (B) by striking ‘‘180’’ and inserting ‘‘90’’; 

8 and 

9 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(4) PERIODIC UPDATES TO METRICS AND

11 SCHEDULES.— 

12 ‘‘(A) REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT.—Not less 

13 frequently than once every 3 years, the Com14 mission shall review and assess, based on the li15 censing and regulatory activities of the Com16 mission, the performance metrics and milestone 

17 schedules developed under paragraph (1). 

18 ‘‘(B) REVISIONS.—After each review and 

19 assessment under subparagraph (A), the Com20 mission shall revise, as appropriate, the per21 formance metrics and milestone schedules devel22 oped under paragraph (1) to provide the most 

23 efficient performance metrics and milestone 

24 schedules reasonably achievable.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION ON FUSION REGULATION. 

2 Section 103(a)(4) of the Nuclear Energy Innovation 

3 and Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2133 note; Public Law 

4 115–439) is amended— 

5 (1) by striking ‘‘Not later’’ and inserting the 

6 following: 

7 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later’’; and 

8 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(B) EXCLUSION OF FUSION REACTORS.— 

10 Notwithstanding section 3(1), for purposes of 

11 subparagraph (A), the term ‘advanced nuclear 

12 reactor applicant’ does not include an applicant 

13 for a license for a nuclear fusion reactor.’’. 

14 SEC. 5. TECHNICAL CORRECTION. 

15 Section 104 c. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 

16 U.S.C. 2134(c)) is amended— 

17 (1) by striking the third sentence and inserting 

18 the following: 

19 ‘‘(3) LIMITATION ON UTILIZATION FACILI20 TIES.—The Commission may issue a license under 

21 this section for a utilization facility useful in the 

22 conduct of research and development activities of the 

23 types specified in section 31 if— 

24 ‘‘(A) not more than 75 percent of the an25 nual costs to the licensee of owning and oper26 ating the facility are devoted to the sale, other 


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1 than for research and development or education 

2 and training, of— 

3 ‘‘(i) nonenergy services; 

4 ‘‘(ii) energy; or 

5 ‘‘(iii) a combination of nonenergy 

6 services and energy; and 

7 ‘‘(B) not more than 50 percent of the an8 nual costs to the licensee of owning and oper9 ating the facility are devoted to the sale of en10 ergy.’’; 

11 (2) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘The 

12 Commission’’ and inserting the following: 

13 ‘‘(2) REGULATION.—The Commission’’; and 

14 (3) by striking ‘‘C. The Commission’’ and in15 serting the following: 

16 ‘‘C. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 

18 and (3), the Commission’’. 

Æ 


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