A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
Legislative Progress
Senate
House
President
Law
Could go either way
This bill has strong bipartisan support from influential senators, which helps its chances, but many energy studies struggle to get a final vote in a crowded schedule.
How we got here
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
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Reintroduced
Reintroduced from S. 5157 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
This bill asks the Department of Energy to look into how the United States could recycle old nuclear fuel instead of just storing it as waste. Right now, most nuclear waste is kept in temporary storage sites across the country, and this study would see if that waste can be turned back into usable energy.
The study will check if recycling is safe, how much it would cost, and if it could help power new types of reactors or even be used for medical treatments and space batteries. It will also look at the risks, such as making sure the materials are not stolen or used for weapons.
The government will also talk to local communities and Tribal governments who live near current waste storage sites. The goal is to see how moving the waste for recycling might help or hurt the people living nearby.
Within one year, the Department of Energy must release a public report explaining their findings. This report will suggest new laws or rules that could help the U.S. start recycling nuclear fuel on a large scale.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Oct 16, 2025Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Oct 16, 2025
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
