I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6236 
To streamline nuclear technology regulatory permitting and licensing, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 6, 2023 
Mr. ALLEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To streamline nuclear technology regulatory permitting and 
licensing, 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 ‘‘Nuclear Licensing Ef-
ficiency Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EFFICIENT LICENSING REVIEWS. 
(a) GENERAL.—Section 181 of the Atomic Energy 
Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2231) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The provisions of’’ and insert-
ing the following: 
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‘‘(a) ‘The provisions of’ ’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) Consistent with the declaration in section 1, the 
Commission shall provide for efficient, timely, and predict-
able reviews and proceedings for the granting, suspending, 
revoking, or amending of any license or construction per-
mit, or application to transfer control, and in any pro-
ceeding for the issuance or modification of rules and regu-
lations dealing with the activities of licenses.’’. 
(b) CONSTRUCTION PERMITS AND OPERATING LI-
CENSES.—Section 185 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 
(42 U.S.C. 2235) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘c. APPLICATION REVIEWS FOR PRODUCTION AND 
UTILIZATION FACILITIES OF AN EXISTING SITE.—In re-
viewing an application for an early site permit, construc-
tion permit, operating license, or combined construction 
permit and operating license for a production facility or 
utilization facility located at the site of a production facil-
ity or utilization facility licensed by the Commission, the 
Commission shall, to the extent practicable, use informa-
tion that was part of the licensing basis of the licensed 
production facility or utilization facility.’’. 
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SEC. 3. PERFORMANCE METRICS AND MILESTONES. 
Section 102(c) of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and 
Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2215(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 
‘‘180’’ and inserting ‘‘90’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘180’’ and inserting ‘‘90’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) PERIODIC
UPDATES
TO
METRICS
AND 
SCHEDULES.— 
‘‘(A) REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT.—Not less 
frequently than once every 3 years, the Com-
mission shall review and assess, based on the li-
censing and regulatory activities of the Com-
mission, the performance metrics and milestone 
schedules developed under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(B) REVISIONS.—After each review and 
assessment under subparagraph (A), the Com-
mission shall revise, as appropriate, the per-
formance metrics and milestone schedules devel-
oped under paragraph (1) to provide the most 
efficient performance metrics and milestone 
schedules reasonably achievable.’’. 
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SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION ON FUSION REGULATION. 
Section 103(a)(4) of the Nuclear Energy Innovation 
and Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2133 note; Public Law 
115–439) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Not later’’ and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSION OF FUSION REACTORS.— 
Notwithstanding section 3(1), for purposes of 
subparagraph (A), the term ‘advanced nuclear 
reactor applicant’ does not include an applicant 
for a license for a nuclear fusion reactor.’’. 
SEC. 5. TECHNICAL CORRECTION. 
Section 104 c. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 
U.S.C. 2134(c)) is amended— 
(1) by striking the third sentence and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION
ON
UTILIZATION
FACILI-
TIES.—The Commission may issue a license under 
this section for a utilization facility useful in the 
conduct of research and development activities of the 
types specified in section 31 if— 
‘‘(A) not more than 75 percent of the an-
nual costs to the licensee of owning and oper-
ating the facility are devoted to the sale, other 
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than for research and development or education 
and training, of— 
‘‘(i) nonenergy services; 
‘‘(ii) energy; or 
‘‘(iii) a combination of nonenergy 
services and energy; and 
‘‘(B) not more than 50 percent of the an-
nual costs to the licensee of owning and oper-
ating the facility are devoted to the sale of en-
ergy.’’; 
(2) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘The 
Commission’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) REGULATION.—The Commission’’; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘C. The Commission’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘C. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 
and (3), the Commission’’. 
Æ 
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