ment and commercial deployment of safe, innovative 
advanced reactor technology and the NRC has suffi-
cient technical expertise to support the evaluation of 
applications for licenses, permits, and design certifi-
cations, and other requests for regulatory approval for 
advanced reactors. 
(2) MODELING
AND
SIMULATION.—The use of 
computers and software codes to calculate the behavior 
and performance of advanced reactors based on math-
ematical models of their physical behavior. 
(3) FACILITIES.—Ensuring that the Department 
maintains and develops the facilities to support the 
civilian nuclear industry’s timely development and 
commercial deployment of safe, innovative reactor 
technology and ensuring that the NRC has access to 
such facilities, as needed. 
SEC. 5. REPORTING TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate a report that evaluates the status of activities 
intended to facilitate the testing and demonstration of ad-
vanced reactors on Department land and facilities and the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:21 Sep 12, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4979.RH
H4979
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
potential for the Department to use testing and demonstra-
tion on private land. 
SEC. 6. ADVANCED REACTOR REGULATORY FRAMEWORK. 
(a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the NRC shall transmit to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works of the Senate a plan for developing an effi-
cient, risk-informed, technology-neutral framework for ad-
vanced reactor licensing. The plan shall evaluate the fol-
lowing subjects, consistent with the NRC’s role in protecting 
public health and safety and common defense and security: 
(1) The unique aspects of advanced reactor li-
censing and any associated legal, regulatory, and pol-
icy issues the NRC will need to address to develop a 
framework for licensing advanced reactors. 
(2) Options for licensing advanced reactors 
under existing NRC regulations in title 10 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations, a proposed new regu-
latory framework, or a combination of these ap-
proaches. 
(3) Options to expedite and streamline the li-
censing of advanced reactors, including opportunities 
to minimize the time from application submittal to 
final NRC licensing decision and minimize the delays 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:21 Sep 12, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4979.RH
H4979
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
that may result from any necessary amendments or 
supplements to applications. 
(4) Options to expand the incorporation of con-
sensus-based codes and standards into the advanced 
reactor regulatory framework to minimize time to 
completion and provide flexibility in implementation. 
(5) Options to make the advanced reactor licens-
ing framework more predictable. This evaluation 
should consider opportunities to improve the process 
by which application review milestones are estab-
lished and maintained. 
(6) Options to allow applicants to use phased re-
view processes under which the NRC issues approvals 
that do not require the NRC to re-review previously 
approved information. This evaluation shall consider 
the NRC’s ability to review and conditionally ap-
prove partial applications, early design information, 
and submittals that contain design criteria and proc-
esses to be used to develop information to support a 
later phase of the design review. 
(7) The extent to which NRC action or modifica-
tion of policy is needed to implement any part of the 
plan required by this subsection. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:21 Sep 12, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4979.RH
H4979
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(8) The role of licensing advanced reactors with-
in NRC long-term strategic resource planning, staff-
ing, and funding levels. 
(9) Options to provide cost-sharing financial 
structures for license applicants in a phased licensing 
process. 
(b) COORDINATION
AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT RE-
QUIRED.—In developing the plan required by subsection 
(a), the NRC shall seek input from the Department, the nu-
clear industry, and other public stakeholders. 
(c) COST AND SCHEDULE ESTIMATE.—The plan re-
quired by subsection (a) shall include proposed cost esti-
mates, budgets, and specific milestones for implementing the 
advanced reactor regulatory framework by September 30, 
2019. 
(d) DESIGN CERTIFICATION STATUS.—In the NRC’s 
first budget request after the acceptance of any design cer-
tification application for an advanced nuclear reactor, and 
annually thereafter, the NRC shall provide the status of per-
formance metrics and milestone schedules. The budget re-
quest shall include a plan to correct or recover from any 
milestone schedule delays, including delays because of 
NRC’s inability to commit resources for its review of the 
design certification applications. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:21 Sep 12, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4979.RH
H4979
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
SEC. 7. USER FEES AND ANNUAL CHARGES. 
Section 6101(c)(2)(A) of the Omnibus Budget Rec-
onciliation Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 2214(c)(2)(A)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (iii); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of clause 
(iv) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(v) for fiscal years ending before Octo-
ber 1, 2020, amounts appropriated to the 
Commission for activities related to the de-
velopment of regulatory infrastructure for 
advanced nuclear reactor technologies.’’. 
SEC. 8. AGREEMENTS FOR PRIVATELY FUNDED REACTORS. 
The Department shall not enter into a new agreement 
with any private entity to host a privately funded reactor 
at a Department-owned site that would affect the Federal 
Government’s liability— 
(1) with respect to the disposal of spent nuclear 
fuel or high-level radioactive waste, as defined by sec-
tion 2 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 
U.S.C. 10101), until the NRC has published a final 
decision on an application for construction for a re-
pository under section 114(d) of the Nuclear Waste 
Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 10168(d)); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:21 Sep 12, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4979.RH
H4979
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(2) with respect to operation and decommis-
sioning— 
(A) unless such private entity has obtained 
and is maintaining financial protection of such 
type and in such amounts as the NRC shall re-
quire to cover public liability claims pursuant to 
section 170 of the Atomic Energy Act; and 
(B) until such private entity has provided 
reasonable assurance that funds will be available 
for the decommissioning process pursuant to 
part 50 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:21 Sep 12, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4979.RH
H4979
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 573 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4979 
[Report No. 114–737, Part I] 
A BILL 
To foster civilian research and development of ad-
vanced nuclear energy technologies and enhance 
the licensing and commercial deployment of such 
technologies. 
SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 
Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
with an amendment 
SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 
The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology dis-
charged; committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union and ordered to be 
printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:21 Sep 12, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H4979.RH
H4979
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS