I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 590 
To foster civilian research and development of advanced nuclear energy tech-
nologies and enhance the licensing and commercial deployment of such 
technologies. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 20, 2017 
Mr. LATTA (for himself, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. MICHAEL 
F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. HUDSON, and Mr. TONKO) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To foster civilian research and development of advanced nu-
clear energy technologies and enhance the licensing and 
commercial deployment of such technologies. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advanced Nuclear 
Technology Development Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Nuclear energy generates approximately 20 
percent of the total electricity and approximately 60 
percent of the carbon-free electricity of the United 
States. 
(2) Nuclear power plants operate consistently at 
a 90 percent capacity factor, and provide consumers 
and businesses with reliable and affordable elec-
tricity. 
(3) Nuclear power plants generate billions of 
dollars in national economic activity through nation-
wide procurements and provide thousands of Ameri-
cans with high paying jobs contributing substantially 
to the local economies in communities where they 
operate. 
(4) The United States commercial nuclear in-
dustry must continue to lead the international civil-
ian nuclear marketplace, because it is one of our 
most powerful national security tools, guaranteeing 
the safe, secure, and exclusively peaceful use of nu-
clear energy. 
(5) Maintaining the Nation’s nuclear fleet of 
commercial light water reactors and expanding the 
use of new advanced reactor designs would support 
continued production of reliable baseload electricity 
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and maintain United States global leadership in nu-
clear power. 
(6) Nuclear fusion technology also has the po-
tential to generate electricity with significantly in-
creased safety performance and no radioactive waste. 
(7) The development of advanced reactor de-
signs would benefit from a performance-based, risk- 
informed, efficient, and cost-effective regulatory 
framework with defined milestones and the oppor-
tunity for applicants to demonstrate progress 
through Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR.—The term 
‘‘advanced nuclear reactor’’ means— 
(A) a nuclear fission reactor with signifi-
cant improvements over the most recent genera-
tion of nuclear fission reactors, which may in-
clude inherent safety features, lower waste 
yields, greater fuel utilization, superior reli-
ability, resistance to proliferation, and increased 
thermal efficiency; or 
(B) a nuclear fusion reactor. 
(2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Energy. 
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