The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee convened a June 9 hearing to discuss six pieces of draft legislation targeting different aspects of domestic nuclear energy policy. The bills address nuclear fuel recycling, NRC licensing reform, staff compensation, uranium enrichment, and advisory committee transparency.
The American Enrichment Deployment Act, one of the six bills reviewed, would direct federal support toward building domestic uranium enrichment capacity. The United States currently relies heavily on foreign enrichment services, including from allied nations, to supply fuel for commercial reactors. The legislation responds to concerns raised following 2024 restrictions on Russian enriched uranium imports.
The REFUEL Act would establish a federal framework for commercial spent nuclear fuel recycling, allowing used fuel from commercial reactors to be reprocessed into new fuel or other materials. The United States has not operated a commercial reprocessing facility since the 1970s.
The Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act and the NRC Staff Pay Alignment Act address operational issues at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Supporters argue that NRC hearing procedures and compensation structures have slowed licensing timelines for new and restarting plants.
The Nuclear Advisory Committee Reform Act and the DOE Nuclear Transparency Act target information-sharing and advisory committee practices at federal agencies involved in nuclear policy.
Nuclear Energy Institute CEO Maria Korsnick and ClearPath Action CEO Jeremy Harrell testified in support of multiple bills. Representative Bob Latta, who chairs the subcommittee, emphasized bipartisan support for expanding domestic nuclear generation and closing the gap between U.S. enrichment capacity and projected reactor fuel demand.
Source: ANS Nuclear Newswire -- https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-11/article-8114/energy-subcommittee-discusses-nuclear-reform-bills-draft-legislation/