Advancing Nuclear Regulatory Oversight Act
Bill: H.R.8471 | Sponsor: Rep. Lesko, Debbie (R-AZ)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Advancing Nuclear Regulatory Oversight Act
This bill requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to report to Congress about changes to its regulation of nuclear reactors and materials during the COVID-19 public health emergency and actions (e.g., the use of risk-informed, performance-based procedures) that may be implemented to enhance the efficiency of oversight and inspection programs.
Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must conduct a review of the commission's office and other facility space requirements and recommend ways to reduce office and facility costs.

To update oversight and inspection practices of the Nuclear Regulatory 
                  Commission, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing Nuclear Regulatory 
Oversight Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPLEMENTING LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE COVID-19 HEALTH 
              EMERGENCY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on actions taken by the Commission 
during the public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with respect to COVID-19.
    (b) Contents.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) identify any processes, procedures, and other 
        regulatory policies that the Commission revised or temporarily 
        suspended during the public health emergency described in 
        subsection (a);
            (2) examine how any revision or temporary suspension of a 
        process, procedure, or other regulatory policy identified under 
        paragraph (1) affected the ability of the Commission to license 
        and regulate the civilian use of radioactive materials in the 
        United States to protect public health and safety, promote the 
        common defense and security, and protect the environment;
            (3) discuss lessons learned from the matters described in 
        paragraph (2);
            (4) list actions that the Commission will take to 
        incorporate into the licensing and oversight activities of the 
        Commission, without compromising the mission of the Commission, 
        the lessons described in paragraph (3); and
            (5) describe when the actions listed under paragraph (4) 
        may be implemented.

SEC. 3. ADVANCING EFFICIENT, RISK-INFORMED OVERSIGHT AND INSPECTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Commission shall develop and submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report that identifies specific improvements 
to the nuclear reactor and materials oversight and inspection programs 
carried out pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 that the 
Commission may implement to maximize the efficiency of such programs 
through, where appropriate, the use of risk-informed, performance-based 
procedures, expanded incorporation of information technologies, and 
staff training.
    (b) Stakeholder Input.--In developing the report under subsection 
(a), the Commission shall, as appropriate, seek input from--
            (1) the Secretary of Energy;
            (2) the National Laboratories;
            (3) the nuclear energy industry; and
            (4) nongovernmental organizations that are related to 
        nuclear energy.
    (c) Contents.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) assess specific elements of oversight and inspections 
        that may be modified by the use of technology, improved 
        planning, and continually updated risk-informed, performance-
        based assessment, including--
                    (A) use of travel resources;
                    (B) planning and preparation for inspections, 
                including entrance and exit meetings with licensees and 
                consideration of whether inspection teams need to be 
                onsite;
                    (C) document collection and preparation, including 
                consideration of whether nuclear reactor data are 
                accessible without onsite visits or requests to the 
                licensee, and that document requests are timely and 
                within the scope of inspections;
                    (D) the cross-cutting issues program;
                    (E) the scope of event reporting required by 
                licensees to ensure decisions are risk-informed; and
                    (F) regular staff training on the application of 
                risk-informed criteria for inspection planning and 
                assessments;
            (2) assess measures to advance risk-informed procedures, 
        including--
                    (A) increased use of inspection approaches that 
                balance the level of resources commensurate with safety 
                significance;
                    (B) increased review of the use of inspection 
                program resources based on licensee performance; and
                    (C) expansion of modern information technology, 
                including artificial intelligence and machine learning 
                to risk inform oversight and inspection decisions;
            (3) assess the Commission's ability, consistent with its 
        obligations to provide reasonable assurance of adequate 
        protection of health and safety pursuant to the Atomic Energy 
        Act of 1954, to encourage licensee innovations that may advance 
        nuclear reactor operational efficiency and safety, including 
        the Commission's criteria for timely acceptance of licensee 
        adoption of advanced technologies, including digital 
        technologies;
            (4) identify recommendations resulting from the assessments 
        described in paragraphs (1) through (3);
            (5) identify specific actions that the Commission will take 
        to incorporate into the training, inspection, oversight, and 
        licensing activities, and regulations of the Commission, 
        without compromising the mission of the Commission, the 
        recommendations identified under paragraph (4); and
            (6) describe when the actions identified under paragraph 
        (5) may be implemented.

SEC. 4. OFFICE AND FACILITY SPACE REVIEW.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall--
            (1) review office and other facility space requirements of 
        the Commission; and
            (2) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
        report, with recommendations, on the results of such review.
    (b) Contents.--The report described in subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) an examination of--
                    (A) the costs associated with the headquarters, 
                regional offices, and technical training center of the 
                Commission, including examination of--
                            (i) costs that do not support the 
                        Commission's mission, including rent subsidies 
                        for other Federal agencies; and
                            (ii) opportunities to reduce future costs 
                        through reduction in unnecessary office space, 
                        consolidation of offices, use of advanced 
                        information technology, or any other 
                        appropriate means; and
                    (B) current and anticipated office and facility 
                requirements to efficiently accomplish the mission of 
                the Commission; and
            (2) recommendations to Congress, the Commission, and the 
        General Services Administration for actions that may assist in 
        reducing office and facility costs to licensees and taxpayers.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on 
        Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Nuclear 
        Regulatory Commission.
            (3) Licensee.--The term ``licensee'' means a person that 
        holds a license issued under section 103 or section 104 of the 
        Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2133; 2134).
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