Nuclear Regulatory Modernization Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9658 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9658

 To amend the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act to make
     certain improvements relating to mandatory Nuclear Regulatory
              Commission hearings, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 2026

Mrs. Spartz (for herself and Mr. Massie) introduced the following bill;
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act to make
     certain improvements relating to mandatory Nuclear Regulatory
              Commission hearings, 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 ``Nuclear Regulatory Modernization Act
of 2026''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MANDATORY NUCLEAR REGULATORY
              COMMISSION HEARINGS.

    (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)--
                    (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 determination by the
                Commission that the amendment involves no significant
                hazards consideration.'' and inserting the following:
    ``(ii) The Commission may, in the absence of a request 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
construction 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 publication once in the
Federal Register of its intent to do so. The Commission may dispense
with such thirty days notice 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 construction permit
and operating license upon a determination by the Commission that the
amendment involves no significant hazards consideration.
    ``(iii) The Commission may use informal adjudicatory procedures for
any hearing held by the Commission pursuant to this subparagraph.'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)(B)(iv)--
                    (A) by inserting ``informal'' before ``hearing
                procedures''; and
                    (B) by striking ``, whether informal or formal
                adjudicatory,''; and
            (3) in the second sentence of paragraph (2)(A), by striking
        ``required hearing'' and inserting ``hearing held by the
        Commission under this section''.
    (b) Construction Permits and Operating Licenses.--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
period or holding a hearing, as applicable, under section 189 a.
(1)(A),''.
    (c) 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.

SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION-AT-RISK AUTHORIZATION FOR URANIUM ENRICHMENT
              FACILITIES.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the prohibition on the importation of uranium from the
        Russian Federation pursuant to the Prohibiting Russian Uranium
        Imports Act (Public Law 118-62; 42 U.S.C. 2011 note et seq.)
        should continue to apply; and
            (2) this section, and the amendments made by this section,
        should be carried out in a manner consistent with such
        prohibition.
    (b) Authorization.--Section 193 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954
(42 U.S.C. 2243) is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
    ``(a) At-Risk Construction.--
            ``(1) In general.--Commencement of construction of a
        uranium enrichment facility prior to the issuance of a license
        under sections 53 and 63 for that facility shall be permitted
        under the same terms and conditions applicable to other fuel
        cycle facilities licensed under such sections.
            ``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection
        shall be construed to affect--
                    ``(A) the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory
                Commission to regulate construction as necessary for
                issuing a license under sections 53 and 63 for a
                uranium enrichment facility, including the authority to
                deny an application for such a license for the failure
                of an applicant to construct such a facility in
                accordance with regulatory requirements; or
                    ``(B) the right of any person whose interest may be
                affected by a proceeding under this Act to a hearing
                under section 189.'';
            (2) by striking subsection (b);
            (3) by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) as
        subsections (b) through (e), respectively; and
            (4) in the first sentence of subsection (b), as so
        redesignated, by striking ``construction and''.
    (c) Regulations Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall issue
or revise regulations to carry out this section and the amendments made
by this section.
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