Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9197
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-08: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-26T19:44:34Z
AI-Generated Summary
Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act (H.R. 9197)
Purpose
This legislation directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study on new technologies and methods for recycling spent nuclear fuel, with the goal of assessing options to convert nuclear waste into usable materials for reactors and other applications.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: Establishes clear terms for key concepts, including "National Laboratory," "nuclear waste," "recycling," "spent nuclear fuel," and related terms drawn from prior laws.
- Study Requirements: Mandates the Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, to complete a study within 90 days of enactment covering:
- Practicability, benefits, costs, and risks (including proliferation concerns) of dedicated recycling facilities for spent nuclear fuel, including high-assay low-enriched uranium.
- Comparisons of recycling versus the once-through fuel cycle, including storage needs.
- Analysis of aqueous recycling processes (e.g., PUREX) versus non-aqueous methods (e.g., pyro-electrochemistry).
- Feasibility of extracting isotopes from nuclear waste for medical, industrial, space, and battery uses.
- Options for linking recycling facilities with reactors, storage sites, and fuel fabrication, including cost estimates and public-private partnerships.
- Identification of parties affected by current storage practices and potential benefits or risks of removing fuel for recycling.
- Approaches for siting and sizing facilities (centralized, regional, or on-site).
- Methods for tracking recycled fuel and waste byproducts.
- Regulatory gaps in waste definitions and classifications, with comparisons to other countries and recommendations for updates.
- Federal and state policy changes needed to support recycling and impacts on storage requirements.
- Report: Requires submission of a public report within one year to specified congressional committees, limited to 120 pages (excluding front matter, references, and appendices), with structured sections including an executive summary, historical overview, results, challenges, policy recommendations, and references.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
The bill introduces no direct amendments to current statutes but requires analysis of regulatory gaps in definitions for radioactive waste categories (such as "high-level radioactive waste," "reprocessing," and "vitrification") under existing federal law. It calls for recommendations to modernize these definitions and compares them to international practices.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Primarily affects the Department of Energy by requiring a new study and report; may influence future policy on nuclear waste management.
- Citizens and Communities: Could highlight ways to reduce risks from indefinite storage of nuclear waste at temporary sites, potentially benefiting nearby residents through improved safety or economic opportunities, while assessing health and environmental concerns.
- International Relations: Includes comparisons of U.S. waste definitions with those used by other nations, which might inform future alignment or cooperation on nuclear technologies.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Department of Energy and its Nuclear Energy office.
- Nuclear technology developers and industry participants.
- Communities, businesses, local governments, and Tribal nations near spent fuel storage sites.
- Congressional committees on energy, commerce, science, and natural resources.
- General public, as the report must be released openly.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The legislation operates within Congress's authority over energy and nuclear policy, with no apparent constitutional issues. It addresses long-standing challenges in nuclear waste handling through research rather than immediate regulatory shifts, potentially paving the way for policy updates on recycling while emphasizing proliferation-resistant and environmentally safe approaches.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-08: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-06-08: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-08: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act — issued 2026-06-08 — PDF (8 pages)