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Issued
September 30, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 621, S. 5249.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 5249) to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to
align the licensing of uranium enrichment facilities with
other fuel cycle facilities under that Act, and for other
purposes.
which had been reported from the Committee on Environment and Public Works with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Modernizing Outdated
Regulations to Expand American Fuel Act of 2026” or the
“MORE American Fuel Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. LICENSING OF URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITIES.
(a) Amendments.—Section 193 of the Atomic Energy Act of
1954 (42 U.S.C. 2243) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “construction and”; and
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by striking “the hearing on”; and
(ii) by striking “construction and”;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking “The Commission shall conduct a single
adjudicatory hearing on the record” and inserting “In
accordance with section 189 a.(1)(A), the Commission shall
grant a hearing”;
(ii) by striking “construction and”; and
(iii) by inserting “on the request of any person whose
interest may be affected by the operation of the uranium
enrichment facility and shall admit that person as a party to
the proceeding” after “and 63”;
(B) by striking paragraph (2);
(C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2); and
(D) in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), in the paragraph
heading, by striking “Single proceeding” and inserting “No
further action required”;
(3) in subsection (c), by striking “construction and”;
and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
“(g) Pre-license Construction.—Nothing in this section
prohibits the construction of a uranium enrichment facility
prior to issuance of a license authorizing operation of that
facility under sections 53 and 63, subject to the conditions
that the construction—
“(1) commences after the date on which the Commission
dockets the application;
“(2) complies with all applicable Federal laws and
regulations; and
“(3) is entirely at the risk of the applicant.”.
(b) Notification of Enrichment Construction.—As part of an
application for a license under sections 53 and 63 of the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2073, 2093) for
operation of a uranium enrichment facility, the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (referred to in this section as the
“Commission”) shall require that an applicant submit a
certification that, not fewer than 15 days before commencing
construction of the uranium enrichment facility pursuant to
subsection (g) of section 193 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 2243),
the applicant will submit a written notification with respect
to commencing construction to—
(1) the Governor of the State in which the uranium
enrichment facility is to be located;
(2) the chief executive and governing body of each unit of
local government in which the facility is to be located; and
(3) the governing body of each Indian Tribe with an offsite
response organization that would be notified by the applicant
in the event of an emergency, as described in the emergency
plan of the applicant pursuant to section 70.22(i)(3)(viii)
of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor
regulation), if applicable.
(c) Regulations Required.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate
regulations to revise part 70 of title 10, Code of Federal
Regulations, as appropriate to reflect the amendments made by
subsection (a).
(2) Pending applications.—With respect to an applicant for
a license under sections 53 and 63 of the Atomic Energy Act
of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2073, 2093) for the operation of a uranium
enrichment facility the application for which was submitted
before the date on which the regulations required under
paragraph (1) take effect, the Commission may grant an
exemption from the requirements of the regulations in effect
on the date on which the application was submitted in
accordance with this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
(d) Savings Clause.—Except as expressly provided in the
amendments made by subsection (a), nothing in this Act, or an
amendment made by this Act—
(1) limits or otherwise affects the authority of the
Commission under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C.
2011 et seq.) to regulate construction as necessary to
license and oversee the operation of a uranium enrichment
facility;
(2) limits or otherwise affects the authority of the
Commission to deny an application for a license to operate a
uranium enrichment facility, including because the applicant
failed to meet applicable regulatory requirements; or
(3) affects judicial review of a final action by the
Commission otherwise available under section 189 of the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2239).
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 5249), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed.