Sponsors
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Becca Balint · Last progress December 11, 2025
The bill directs substantial, sustained federal and licensee-funded support to help nuclear host communities plan and recover while increasing local participation and safety checks — but it also raises costs for licensees and taxpayers, adds procedural complexity, and risks inconsistent rules and reduced oversight in some areas.
Host counties, cities, tribes, and small/rural/disadvantaged communities receive new, direct, and predictable federal funding (annual transfers, $15/kg payments for stored spent fuel, and grants/transfers tied to decommissioning) to support economic development, mitigation, and local services.
Residents, State and Tribal governments gain stronger consultation, public access, and safety/financial safeguards before PSDAR approval: formal tribal/state consultation rights, required public comment periods and meetings, public access to PSDARs, and NRC findings that projects will protect human health/environment and have implementable funding.
Local advisory/liaison boards in small, rural, and disadvantaged host communities are funded (including authority to hire experts and conduct outreach) and supported by a dedicated licensee-funded account with initial startup appropriations, improving community technical understanding and engagement.
Licensees and transferees face new and substantial costs (a $500,000 per-plant/unit PSDAR payment, required licensee-funded grants, and mandated transfers) that may be passed to consumers or shareholders and could reduce funds available for actual decommissioning work.
Taxpayers and the federal budget face increased and partly open-ended spending obligations (annual $15/kg payments, grants funded 'such sums as necessary', and fully federalized project grants), creating fiscal exposure and uncertain total cost through FY2026–FY2035.
Added mandatory consultations, extended public comment/meeting requirements, grant administration, and advisory-board processes increase administrative burdens and can delay decommissioning projects or raise project costs.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Tightens PSDAR review and state consultation, creates grants/payments for host communities, and establishes per-plant Treasury recovery accounts funded by licensees.
Creates new federal rules and funding to strengthen local involvement and economic support when civilian nuclear power plants shut down. It requires licensees and transferees to consult affected States and Tribes, submit enhanced post-shutdown decommissioning reports with public review, and obligates the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to decide within set deadlines. The bill also funds community advisory boards, boosts federal grant shares for small host communities, directs annual payments to local governments for stranded spent fuel, and establishes per-plant Host Community Economic Recovery Accounts to finance local economic development.