[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3626 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3626
To facilitate the development of a whole-of-government strategy for
nuclear cooperation and nuclear exports.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 29, 2025
Mr. Donalds introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on
Energy and Commerce, Science, Space, and Technology, and Ways and
Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To facilitate the development of a whole-of-government strategy for
nuclear cooperation and nuclear exports.
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
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) had an annual per capita gross
domestic product of not more than $28,000 in
2020.
(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) Nuclear safety.--The term ``nuclear safety'' means
issues relating to the design, construction, operation, or
decommissioning of nuclear facilities in a manner that provides
reasonable assurance of adequate protection for workers, the
public, and the environment, including--
(A) the safe operation of nuclear reactors and
other nuclear facilities;
(B) radiological protection of--
(i) members of the public;
(ii) workers; and
(iii) the environment;
(C) nuclear waste management;
(D) emergency preparedness;
(E) nuclear liability; and
(F) the safe transportation of nuclear materials.
(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 establish, within the Executive Office of the
President, an office, to be known as the ``Office of
the Assistant to the President and Director for
International Nuclear Energy 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
Policy''; 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) the appropriate officials of--
(i) the Department of State;
(ii) the Department of Energy;
(iii) the Department of Commerce;
(iv) the Department of Transportation;
(v) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
(vi) the Department of Defense;
(vii) the National Security Council;
(viii) the National Economic Council;
(ix) the Office of the United States Trade
Representative;
(x) the Office of Management and Budget;
(xi) the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence;
(xii) the Export-Import Bank of the United
States;
(xiii) the United States International
Development Finance Corporation;
(xiv) the United States Agency for
International Development;
(xv) the United States Trade and
Development Agency;
(xvi) the Office of Science and Technology
Policy; and
(xvii) any other 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--
(i) the Department of State;
(ii) the Department of Commerce;
(iii) the Department of Energy;
(iv) the Department of the Treasury;
(v) the Export-Import Bank of the United
States;
(vi) the United States International
Development Finance Corporation;
(vii) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
(viii) the Office of the United States
Trade Representative; and
(ix) the United States Trade and
Development Agency; 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