Nuclear REFUEL (Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing) Act
H.R. 3978119th CongressEnergy
- Introduced
- Jun 12, 2025
- Latest action
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Nov 9, 2026
Recorded votes
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houseH.R. 3978
Nuclear REFUEL (Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing) ActFast-track passagePassed397–2
Summary
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
The following analysis is based on draft bill text that was made available by the House of Representatives and may differ from the bill text as introduced.
Nuclear REFUEL (Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing) Act
This bill directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to license future recycling facilities that reprocess certain spent nuclear fuel (i.e., radioactive waste) under regulations for special nuclear material rather than regulations for production and utilization facilities. The bill applies to domestic facilities that reprocess spent nuclear fuel in a manner that does not isolate plutonium. Generally, such recycling facilities reprocess spent nuclear fuel into materials that may be reused as nuclear fuel for electricity.
While there are no commercial reprocessing facilities currently operating in the United States, the bill specifies which regulatory framework the NRC must use when issuing licenses to future facilities by excluding such facilities from the statutory definition of production facility. The licensing process under regulations for special nuclear material has fewer steps than the licensing process under regulations for production and utilization facilities.