Nuclear REFUEL (Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing) Act

This bill changes how federal law defines a “production facility” in nuclear energy. It says that equipment used to recycle used nuclear fuel is not counted as a production facility if it does the work without separating out pure plutonium from other heavy elements. In short, certain fuel‑recycling machines would face a lighter category under the law because they don’t create separated plutonium, which is more sensitive to handle and regulate.

This could make it easier for new recycling methods to be reviewed and used, as long as they keep plutonium mixed with other materials instead of isolating it. The goal is to support safer, more efficient fuel recycling while maintaining limits on technologies that produce separated plutonium.

Key points

• Who is affected: Nuclear power companies, technology developers, and communities near nuclear sites; federal regulators who oversee nuclear facilities.
• What changes: Certain fuel‑reprocessing equipment is no longer treated as a “production facility” if it does not separate plutonium from other elements, which may ease its path under existing rules.
• When: Takes effect after the bill becomes law; no special start date is specified in the text.