[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1801 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1801
To facilitate the development of a whole-of-government strategy for
nuclear cooperation and nuclear exports, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 19, 2025
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Heinrich)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To facilitate the development of a whole-of-government strategy for
nuclear cooperation and nuclear exports, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``International Nuclear Energy Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Advanced nuclear reactor.--The term ``advanced nuclear
reactor'' means--
(A) a nuclear fission reactor, including a
prototype plant (as defined in sections 50.2 and 52.1
of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor
regulations)), with significant improvements compared
to reactors operating on October 19, 2016, including
improvements such as--
(i) additional inherent safety features;
(ii) lower waste yields;
(iii) improved fuel and material
performance;
(iv) increased tolerance to loss of fuel
cooling;
(v) enhanced reliability or improved
resilience;
(vi) increased proliferation resistance;
(vii) increased thermal efficiency;
(viii) reduced consumption of cooling water
and other environmental impacts;
(ix) the ability to integrate into electric
applications and nonelectric applications;
(x) modular sizes to allow for deployment
that corresponds with the demand for
electricity or process heat; and
(xi) operational flexibility to respond to
changes in demand for electricity or process
heat and to complement integration with
intermittent renewable energy or energy
storage;
(B) a fusion reactor; and
(C) a radioisotope power system that utilizes heat
from radioactive decay to generate energy.
(2) Ally or partner nation.--The term ``ally or partner
nation'' means--
(A) the Government of any country that is a member
of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development;
(B) the Government of the Republic of India; and
(C) the Government of any country designated as an
ally or partner nation by the Secretary of State for
purposes of this Act.
(3) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committees on Foreign Relations and Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate; and
(B) the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Energy
and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
(4) Assistant.--The term ``Assistant'' means the Assistant
to the President and Director for International Nuclear Energy
Export Policy described in section 3(a)(1)(D).
(5) Associated entity.--The term ``associated entity''
means an entity that--
(A) is owned, controlled, or operated by--
(i) an ally or partner nation; or
(ii) an associated individual; or
(B) is organized under the laws of, or otherwise
subject to the jurisdiction of, a country described in
paragraph (2), including a corporation that is
incorporated in a country described in that paragraph.
(6) Associated individual.--The term ``associated
individual'' means a foreign national who is a national of a
country described in paragraph (2).
(7) Civil nuclear.--The term ``civil nuclear'' means
activities relating to--
(A) nuclear plant construction;
(B) nuclear fuel services;
(C) nuclear energy financing;
(D) nuclear plant operations;
(E) nuclear plant regulation;
(F) nuclear medicine;
(G) nuclear safety;
(H) community engagement in areas in reasonable
proximity to nuclear sites;
(I) infrastructure support for nuclear energy;
(J) nuclear plant decommissioning;
(K) nuclear liability;
(L) safe storage and safe disposal of spent nuclear
fuel;
(M) environmental safeguards;
(N) nuclear nonproliferation and security; and
(O) technology related to the matters described in
subparagraphs (A) through (N).
(8) Embarking civil nuclear nation.--
(A) In general.--The term ``embarking civil nuclear
nation'' means a country that--
(i) does not have a civil nuclear energy
program;
(ii) is in the process of developing or
expanding a civil nuclear energy program,
including safeguards and a legal and regulatory
framework, for--
(I) nuclear safety;
(II) nuclear security;
(III) radioactive waste management;
(IV) civil nuclear energy;
(V) environmental safeguards;
(VI) community engagement in areas
in reasonable proximity to nuclear
sites;
(VII) nuclear liability; or
(VIII) advanced nuclear reactor
licensing;
(iii) is in the process of selecting,
developing, constructing, or utilizing advanced
light water reactors, advanced nuclear
reactors, or advanced civil nuclear
technologies; or
(iv) is eligible to receive development
lending from the World Bank.
(B) Exclusions.--The term ``embarking civil nuclear
nation'' does not include--
(i) the People's Republic of China;
(ii) the Russian Federation;
(iii) the Republic of Belarus;
(iv) the Islamic Republic of Iran;
(v) the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea;
(vi) the Republic of Cuba;
(vii) the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela;
(viii) the Syrian Arab Republic;
(ix) Burma; or
(x) any other country--
(I) the property or interests in
property of the government of which are
blocked pursuant to the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or
(II) the government of which the
Secretary of State has determined has
repeatedly provided support for acts of
international terrorism for purposes
of--
(aa) section 620A(a) of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(22 U.S.C. 2371(a));
(bb) section 40(d) of the
Arms Export Control Act (22
U.S.C. 2780(d));
(cc) section
1754(c)(1)(A)(i) of the Export
Control Reform Act of 2018 (50
U.S.C. 4813(c)(1)(A)(i)); or
(dd) any other relevant
provision of law.
(9) National energy dominance council.--The term ``National
Energy Dominance Council'' means the National Energy Dominance
Council established within the Executive Office of the
President under Executive Order 14213 (90 Fed. Reg. 9945;
relating to establishing the National Energy Dominance
Council).
(10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(11) Spent nuclear fuel.--The term ``spent nuclear fuel''
has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Nuclear
Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101).
(12) U.S. nuclear energy company.--The term ``U.S. nuclear
energy company'' means a company that--
(A) is organized under the laws of, or otherwise
subject to the jurisdiction of, the United States; and
(B) is involved in the nuclear energy industry.
SEC. 3. CIVIL NUCLEAR COORDINATION AND STRATEGY.
(a) White House Focal Point on Civil Nuclear Coordination.--
(1) Sense of congress.--Given the critical importance of
developing and implementing, with input from various agencies
throughout the executive branch, a cohesive policy with respect
to international efforts related to civil nuclear energy, it is
the sense of Congress that--
(A) there should be a focal point within the White
House, which may, if determined to be appropriate,
report to the National Security Council, for
coordination on issues relating to those efforts;
(B) to provide that focal point, the President
should designate, within the National Energy Dominance
Council, an office, to be known as the ``Office of the
Assistant to the President and Director for
International Nuclear Energy Export Policy'' (referred
to in this subsection as the ``Office'');
(C) the Office should act as a coordinating office
for--
(i) international civil nuclear
cooperation; and
(ii) civil nuclear export strategy;
(D) the Office should be headed by an individual
appointed as an Assistant to the President with the
title of ``Director for International Nuclear Energy
Export Policy'' who is also a member of the National
Energy Dominance Council; and
(E) the Office should--
(i) coordinate civil nuclear export
policies for the United States;
(ii) develop, in coordination with the
officials described in paragraph (2), a
cohesive Federal strategy for engagement with
foreign governments (including ally or partner
nations and the governments of embarking civil
nuclear nations), associated entities, and
associated individuals with respect to civil
nuclear exports;
(iii) coordinate with the officials
described in paragraph (2) to ensure that
necessary framework agreements and trade
controls relating to civil nuclear materials
and technologies are in place for key markets;
and
(iv) develop--
(I) a whole-of-government
coordinating strategy for civil nuclear
cooperation;
(II) a whole-of-government strategy
for civil nuclear exports; and
(III) a whole-of-government
approach to support appropriate foreign
investment in civil nuclear energy
projects supported by the United States
in embarking civil nuclear nations.
(2) Officials described.--The officials referred to in
paragraph (1)(E) are--
(A) appropriate officials of any Federal agency
that the President determines to be appropriate; and
(B) appropriate officials representing foreign
countries and governments, including--
(i) ally or partner nations;
(ii) embarking civil nuclear nations; and
(iii) any other country or government that
the Assistant (if appointed) and the officials
described in subparagraph (A) jointly determine
to be appropriate.
(b) Nuclear Exports Working Group.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established a working group,
to be known as the ``Nuclear Exports Working Group'' (referred
to in this subsection as the ``working group'').
(2) Composition.--The working group shall be composed of--
(A) senior-level Federal officials, selected
internally by the applicable Federal agency or
organization, from any Federal agency or organization
that the President determines to be appropriate; and
(B) other senior-level Federal officials, selected
internally by the applicable Federal agency or
organization, from any other Federal agency or
organization that the Secretary determines to be
appropriate.
(3) Reporting.--The working group shall report to the
appropriate White House official, which may be the Assistant
(if appointed).
(4) Duties.--The working group shall coordinate, not less
frequently than quarterly, with the Civil Nuclear Trade
Advisory Committee of the Department of Commerce, the Nuclear
Energy Advisory Committee of the Department of Energy, and
other advisory or stakeholder groups, as necessary, to maintain
an accurate and up-to-date knowledge of the standing of civil
nuclear exports from the United States, including with respect
to meeting the targets established as part of the 10-year civil
nuclear trade strategy described in paragraph (5)(A).
(5) Strategy.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the working group shall
establish a 10-year civil nuclear trade strategy,
including biennial targets for the export of civil
nuclear technologies, including light water and non-
light water reactors and associated equipment and
technologies, civil nuclear materials, and nuclear fuel
that align with meeting international energy demand
while seeking to avoid or reduce emissions.
(B) Collaboration required.--In establishing the
strategy under subparagraph (A), the working group
shall collaborate with--
(i) any Federal agency that the President
determines to be appropriate; and
(ii) representatives of private industry.
SEC. 4. ENGAGEMENT WITH ALLY OR PARTNER NATIONS.
(a) In General.--The President shall launch, in accordance with
applicable nuclear technology export laws (including regulations), an
international initiative to modernize the civil nuclear outreach to
embarking civil nuclear nations.
(b) Financing.--In carrying out the initiative described in
subsection (a), the President, acting through an appropriate Federal
official, who may be the Assistant (if appointed), if determined to be
appropriate, and in coordination with the officials described in
section 3(a)(2), may, if the President determines to be appropriate,
seek to establish cooperative financing relationships for the export of
civil nuclear technology, components, materials, and infrastructure to
embarking civil nuclear nations.
(c) Activities.--In carrying out the initiative described in
subsection (a), the President shall--
(1) assist nongovernmental organizations and appropriate
offices, administrations, agencies, laboratories, and programs
of the Department of Energy and other relevant Federal agencies
and offices in providing education and training to foreign
governments in nuclear safety, security, and safeguards--
(A) through engagement with the International
Atomic Energy Agency; or
(B) independently, if the applicable entity
determines that it would be more advantageous under the
circumstances to provide the applicable education and
training independently;
(2) assist the efforts of the International Atomic Energy
Agency to expand the support provided by the International
Atomic Energy Agency to embarking civil nuclear nations for
nuclear safety, security, and safeguards;
(3) coordinate with appropriate Federal departments and
agencies on efforts to expand outreach to the private
investment community and establish public-private financing
relationships that enable the adoption of civil nuclear
technologies by embarking civil nuclear nations, i