[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3553 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3553
To establish the Office of Nuclear, Economic, Environmental, and
National Security of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, accelerate the
deployment of small modular nuclear reactors, ban the import of Russian
nuclear material, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 18, 2023
Mr. Wittman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on
Homeland Security, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Office of Nuclear, Economic, Environmental, and
National Security of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, accelerate the
deployment of small modular nuclear reactors, ban the import of Russian
nuclear material, 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 ``21st Century American Atomic Energy
Age Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States should promote and support the
development of small modular nuclear reactors to provide safe,
reliable, and affordable electricity.
(2) The Commission has the responsibility to issue
construction permits and operating licenses for innovative
nuclear reactors to meet the energy needs of the United States.
(3) The United States relied on Russia for about 16 percent
of its uranium in 2020.
SEC. 3. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL MODULAR NUCLEAR REACTOR
APPLICATIONS.
The Commission shall provide technical assistance to applicants
that apply for a construction permit, an operating license, or a
combined construction permit and operating license for a small modular
nuclear reactor under section 103 or 185 of the Atomic Energy Act of
1954 (42 U.S.C. 2133 or 2235).
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON IMPORT AND USE OF NUCLEAR FUEL FROM RUSSIA.
(a) Prohibition on Use.--
(1) In general.--No person shall use nuclear fuel,
including low-enriched uranium, that was produced in, or
imported from, Russia to operate any small modular nuclear
reactor located in the United States.
(2) Rulemaking.--Not later than 183 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary of Commerce shall
establish, by regulation, procedures to ensure compliance with
this subsection.
(b) Prohibition on Imports.--Section 3112A of the USEC
Privatization Act (42 U.S.C. 2297h-10a) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(d) Prohibition.--Beginning on the date that is 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this subsection, no low-enriched uranium that
is produced in the Russian Federation or by a Russian entity may be
imported into the United States.''.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
The Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and
the Secretary of Defense shall, not later than 120 days after the date
of enactment of this section, submit to Congress a report that
identifies critical infrastructure that can benefit from access to
onsite or offsite electricity generated by a small modular nuclear
reactor that is located at or near the critical infrastructure to
achieve added energy resilience.
SEC. 6. OFFICE OF NUCLEAR, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND NATIONAL
SECURITY OF THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--Title II of the Energy Reorganization Act of
1974 (42 U.S.C. 5841 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 205
the following:
``SEC. 205A. OFFICE OF NUCLEAR, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND NATIONAL
SECURITY.
``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the Commission
an Office of Nuclear, Economic, Environmental, and National Security
(in this section referred to as the `Office') under the direction of a
Director, who shall--
``(1) be appointed by the Commission;
``(2) report directly to the Commission, as provided in
section 209; and
``(3) serve at the pleasure of and be removable by the
Commission.
``(b) Functions.--Subject to the provisions of this Act, the
Director of the Office shall perform such functions as the Commission
shall delegate, including:
``(1) Principal licensing and regulation involving all
facilities, materials, and activities licensed under the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954.
``(2) Review the economic, environmental, and national
security benefits of all such facilities, materials, and
activities, including evaluating the benefits to air quality,
human health, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, economic
activity, and national security.
``(3) Assessing the need for, and the feasibility of,
establishing an agency within the Office to review the
Commission's licensing and related regulatory functions for the
purposes of increasing the development and use of nuclear
energy to ensure public health and economic security by
providing for the effective and safe commercial use of
radioactive materials.''.
(b) Report to Congress.--The Director of the Office of Nuclear,
Economic, Environmental, and National Security, established under
section 205A of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (as added by this
section), shall, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, submit to Congress a report, including recommendations, based
on the assessments made under subsection (b)(3) of such section 205A.
SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF THE PRICE-ANDERSON ACT.
(a) Extension.--Section 170 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42
U.S.C. 2210) (commonly known as the ``Price-Anderson Act'') is amended
by striking ``December 31, 2025'' each place it appears and inserting
``December 31, 2045''.
(b) Report.--Section 170 p. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42
U.S.C. 2210(p)) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2021'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2041''.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act.
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect 120 days after the date of enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
(2) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical
infrastructure'' means a facility, asset, system, or network,
whether physical or virtual, that is so vital to the United
States that the incapacity or destruction of such facility
asset, system, or network would have a debilitating impact on
national economic security, public health or safety, or any
combination of those matters.
(3) Key resources.--The term ``key resources'' has the
meaning given such term section 2 of the Homeland Security Act
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101).
(4) Small modular nuclear reactor.--The term ``small
modular nuclear reactor'' means a nuclear reactor with an
electric generating capacity of not more than 200 megawatts.
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