(6) the Committee should recognize and under-
stand that the Commission staff time is valuable in 
ultimately streamlining, and approving, nuclear reac-
tor applications; 
(7) the Committee should perform a budget re-
view to Committee staff to ensure it’s appropriately 
staffed to ensure it can meet the anticipated future 
influx of applications; 
(8) the Committee should be modernized by im-
proving the internal processes associated with the 
Committee independent review process; 
(9) the Committee should consider modifying 
its Membership Balance Plan to ensure adequate ex-
pertise and experience, while simultaneously ensur-
ing increased member diversity, including but not 
limited to establishing certain term limits to carry 
forth this intention; 
(10) Congress recognizes that the Committee 
originally provided significant value in providing an 
independent review of each application, but after 
decades of accumulating experience and vast 
changes in nuclear technology, the Committee no 
longer serves the same role as it originally did; and 
(11) Congress understands the Committee has 
the potential to play a valuable role in the Commis-
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sion licensing review process, but its purpose, proc-
esses, 
and 
practices 
need 
to 
be 
improved, 
economized, and modernized. 
SEC. 3. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS 
REFORM. 
(a) SELECTION OF ACRS CHAIRMAN.—Section 29 of 
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2039) is 
amended by striking ‘‘by the Committee as its Chairman’’ 
in the third sentence and inserting ‘‘as the Chairman of 
the Committee by a majority of the members of the Com-
mission’’. 
(b) LICENSE APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 182 b. of the Atomic 
Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2232(b)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘The Advisory Committee’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Committee’’. 
(2) LIMITATION ON REVIEW.—Section 182 of 
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2232) is 
amended by inserting at the end of subsection b., as 
amended by paragraph (1), the following: 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION ON REVIEW.—With respect to 
the applications described in paragraph (1), the Ad-
visory Committee on Reactor Safeguards may only 
review such applications that present a novel issue 
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or an issue of significant safety concern, based on a 
risk-informed determination by the Committee.’’. 
(c) 
FEE
RECOVERY
EXEMPTION.—Section 
102(b)(1)(B) of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Mod-
ernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2215(b)(1)(B) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iv) Costs associated with any re-
views conducted by the Advisory Com-
mittee on Reactor Safeguards, established 
under section 29 of the Atomic Energy Act 
of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2039), including any 
direct or indirect costs relating to pre-
paring for, or attending, meetings held by 
the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safe-
guards.’’. 
(d) ACRS ORGANIZATION.—Section 29 of the Atomic 
Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2039) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘There is hereby’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby’’; 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) PROHIBITION ON SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Com-
mittee established under subsection (a) may not form sub-
committees.’’. 
Æ 
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