HR 4084 RDS 
and behavior of fuel forms and for validation of computa-
tional tools.’’. 
SEC. 9. ENABLING NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION. 
Subtitle E of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 958. ENABLING NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION. 
‘‘(a) NATIONAL REACTOR INNOVATION CENTER.— 
The Secretary shall carry out a program to enable the 
testing and demonstration of reactor concepts to be pro-
posed and funded by the private sector. The Secretary 
shall leverage the technical expertise of relevant Federal 
agencies and National Laboratories in order to minimize 
the time required to enable construction and operation of 
privately funded experimental reactors at National Lab-
oratories or other Department-owned sites while ensuring 
reasonable safety for persons working within these sites. 
Such reactors shall operate to meet the following objec-
tives: 
‘‘(1) Enabling physical validation of novel reac-
tor concepts. 
‘‘(2) Resolving technical uncertainty and in-
creasing practical knowledge relevant to safety, resil-
ience, security, and functionality of first-of-a-kind 
reactor concepts. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Mar 03, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4084.RDS
H4084
smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4084 RDS 
‘‘(3) General research and development to im-
prove nascent technologies. 
‘‘(b) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of the Nuclear En-
ergy Innovation Capabilities Act, the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the National Laboratories, relevant Federal 
agencies, and other stakeholders, shall transmit to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report assessing 
the Department’s capabilities to authorize, host, and over-
see privately funded fusion and advanced fission experi-
mental reactors as described under subsection (a). The re-
port shall address the following: 
‘‘(1) The Department’s safety review and over-
sight capabilities, including options to leverage ex-
pertise from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
and National Laboratories. 
‘‘(2) Potential sites capable of hosting activities 
described under subsection (a). 
‘‘(3) The efficacy of the Department’s available 
contractual mechanisms to partner with the private 
sector and Federal agencies, including cooperative 
research and development agreements, strategic 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Mar 03, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4084.RDS
H4084
smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4084 RDS 
partnership projects, and agreements for commer-
cializing technology. 
‘‘(4) Potential cost structures related to phys-
ical security, decommissioning, liability, and other 
long-term project costs. 
‘‘(5) Other challenges or considerations identi-
fied by the Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 10. BUDGET PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle E of title IX of the En-
ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271 et seq.) is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 959. BUDGET PLAN. 
‘‘Not later than 12 months after the date of enact-
ment of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, 
the Department shall transmit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate 2 alternative 10-year budget 
plans for civilian nuclear energy research and development 
by the Department. The first shall assume constant an-
nual funding for 10 years at the appropriated level for 
the Department’s civilian nuclear energy research and de-
velopment for fiscal year 2016. The second shall be an 
unconstrained budget. The two plans shall include— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Mar 03, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4084.RDS
H4084
smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4084 RDS 
‘‘(1) a prioritized list of the Department’s pro-
grams, projects, and activities to best support the 
development of next generation nuclear energy tech-
nology; 
‘‘(2) realistic budget requirements for the De-
partment to implement sections 955(c), 957, and 
958 of this Act; and 
‘‘(3) the Department’s justification for con-
tinuing or terminating existing civilian nuclear en-
ergy research and development programs.’’. 
(b) REPORT
ON FUSION INNOVATION.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of the Department of Energy shall transmit 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that 
will identify engineering designs for innovative fusion en-
ergy systems that have the potential to demonstrate net 
energy production not later than 15 years after the start 
of construction. In this report, the Secretary will identify 
budgetary requirements that would be necessary for the 
Department to carry out a fusion innovation initiative to 
accelerate research and development of these designs. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Mar 03, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4084.RDS
H4084
smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4084 RDS 
SEC. 11. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
The table of contents for the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 is amended by striking the item relating to section 
957 and inserting the following: 
‘‘957. High-performance computation and supportive research. 
‘‘958. Enabling nuclear energy innovation. 
‘‘959. Budget plan.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 29, 
2016. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Mar 03, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4084.RDS
H4084
smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS