Sponsors (5)
The bill aims to expand U.S. civil nuclear exports and market access—potentially boosting industry revenues and legal predictability—while trading off higher taxpayer and agency costs and elevated nonproliferation, safety, and diplomatic risks if controls or resources are loosened or diverted.
U.S. nuclear suppliers, investors, lenders, utilities, and small businesses will likely win more overseas contracts and exports because the bill directs pursuit of many new civil nuclear cooperation agreements and actively promotes U.S. technology abroad.
U.S. negotiators will renegotiate expiring Section 123 agreements and maintain existing legal safeguards and nonproliferation controls with partners, supporting U.S. national security and nonproliferation objectives.
Financial institutions and exporters face lower legal and cross-border liability risk because the bill promotes improved adherence to the Vienna Convention on Supplementary Compensation, making liability rules more predictable.
Taxpayers and federal budgets will face increased diplomatic and administrative costs because pursuing many new agreements and promoting U.S. technology abroad requires staff time and agency resources.
Taxpayers, financial institutions, and the public face heightened proliferation, safety, or safeguards risks if the drive for more agreements or relief of export controls reduces the stringency of nonproliferation, safety, or export-control terms.
State governments and U.S. diplomatic relationships could be strained because actively favoring and promoting U.S. nuclear technology may be perceived as government favoritism, causing friction with other supplier countries.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Directs State to obtain at least 20 new Section 123 nuclear cooperation agreements by Jan 3, 2029, renew expiring agreements, and run a program to boost U.S. nuclear suppliers’ competitiveness abroad.
Introduced June 30, 2025 by Keith Self · Last progress June 30, 2025
Directs the Secretary of State to lead a stepped-up push for international nuclear cooperation under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act, including a target to secure at least 20 new U.S. peaceful nuclear cooperation agreements by January 3, 2029 and to renegotiate or renew agreements that will expire within 10 years of enactment. Establishes an interagency program to help U.S. nuclear suppliers, investors, and lenders compete abroad by speeding intergovernmental agreements, promoting adherence to the international nuclear liability convention, identifying export regulatory burdens, and encouraging foreign governments to favor U.S. nuclear technology and services. Declares Congress's non-binding view that a recent Executive Order on advanced nuclear reactor deployment aligns with U.S. interests, and directs interagency consultation (State, Commerce, Energy, OSTP, and the President's economic adviser) to implement the competitiveness program. The bill specifies statutory references for Section 123 agreements and the definition of “United States persons.”