Nuclear Energy: Speeding Up Licensing and Construction
A house committee must act next: committee consideration.
While there is interest in nuclear energy, this bill faces a tough path because some lawmakers may worry that skipping hearings reduces public safety oversight.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Letting companies start building uranium enrichment plants before their final license is approved could speed up construction schedules, creating more near-term work for unionized pipefitters, electricians, and other building trades workers on these projects. The benefit depends on how many new enrichment facilities actually move forward under the faster rules.
“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.”
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The House Subcommittee on Energy advanced a package of nuclear permitting reform bills with bipartisan support. The legislation includes the American Enrichment Deployment Act, allowing construction of enrichment facilities to begin prior to licensing, and the Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act, which makes uncontested NRC hearings optional. Rep. Brett Guthrie emphasized that the licensing process should not be a 'major impediment' to maintaining the U.S. edge in global nuclear energy.
Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) introduced the Nuclear Regulatory Modernization Act of 2026 to accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). The bill aims to streamline the NRC's licensing process by eliminating obsolete mandatory hearings and speeding up the domestic deployment of uranium enrichment facilities. Spartz stated that advanced nuclear reactors can lower energy costs and strengthen grid stability while reducing reliance on foreign uranium imports.
Rep. Victoria Spartz has introduced the Nuclear Regulatory Modernization Act of 2026, targeting the 'licensing gate' for small modular reactors. The bill removes mandatory hearings and expands domestic uranium enrichment capacity. By allowing at-risk construction and simplifying hearing rules, the legislation seeks to remove up to two years of permitting risk for developers and widen the supply bottleneck for nuclear fuel.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Nuclear Regulatory Modernization Act of 2026
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