I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6464 
To amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide for more efficient 
hearings on nuclear facility construction applications, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 21, 2023 
Mr. GRIFFITH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide for 
more efficient hearings on nuclear facility construction 
applications, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Efficient Nuclear Li-
censing Hearings Act’’. 
SEC. 2. UPDATING HEARING PROCEDURES. 
(a) HEARINGS AND JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Section 189 
a. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2239(a)) 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘In any proceeding under 
this Act’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(i) In any proceeding under this Act’’; and 
(B) in clause (i) (as so designated), by 
striking ‘‘The Commission shall hold a hearing’’ 
and all that follows through ‘‘upon a determina-
tion by the Commission that the amendment in-
volves no significant hazards consideration.’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(ii) The Commission may, in the absence of a re-
quest for a hearing by any person whose interest may be 
affected, issue a construction permit, an operating license, 
a combined construction permit and operating license, an 
amendment to a construction permit, an amendment to 
an operating license, or an amendment to a combined con-
struction permit and operating license under section 103, 
104 b., 104 c., or 185 b. for a facility or a testing facility, 
without a hearing, but upon thirty days notice and publi-
cation once in the Federal Register of its intent to do so. 
The Commission may dispense with such thirty days no-
tice and publication with respect to any application for an 
amendment to a construction permit, an amendment to 
an operating license, or an amendment to a combined con-
struction permit and operating license upon a determina-
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tion by the Commission that the amendment involves no 
significant hazards consideration. 
‘‘(iii) The Commission shall use informal adjudica-
tory procedures for any hearing held by the Commission 
pursuant to this subparagraph.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1)(B)(iv)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘informal’’ before ‘‘hear-
ing procedures’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘, whether informal or for-
mal adjudicatory,’’; and 
(3) in the second sentence of paragraph (2)(A), 
by striking ‘‘required hearing’’ and inserting ‘‘hear-
ing held by the Commission under this section’’. 
(b) CONSTRUCTION PERMITS AND OPERATING LI-
CENSES.—Section 185 b. of the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954 (42 U.S.C. 2235(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘After 
holding a public hearing under section 189 a. (1)(A),’’ and 
inserting ‘‘After the thirty days notice and publication pe-
riod or holding a hearing, as applicable, under section 189 
a. (1)(A),’’. 
(c) LICENSING OF URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILI-
TIES.—Section 193(b) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 
(42 U.S.C. 2243(b)) is amended by— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘on the record’’; and 
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(B) by inserting ‘‘if a person whose inter-
est may be affected by such construction and 
operation has requested a hearing regarding the 
licensing of the construction and operation of 
the facility’’ after ‘‘and 63’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Such hear-
ing’’ and inserting ‘‘If a hearing is held under para-
graph (1), the hearing’’. 
(d) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 
section shall apply to all applications and proceedings 
pending before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on or 
after the date of enactment of this section. 
Æ 
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