S. 2082 · 119th Congress
Nuclear REFUEL Act of 2025
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1 cosponsor · 1 D
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
Nuclear Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing Act of 2025 or the Nuclear REFUEL Act of 2025
What it does: CRS summary · Reported to Senate · Oct 29, 2025
Nuclear Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing Act of 2025 or the Nuclear REFUEL Act of 2025
This bill directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to license future recycling facilities that reprocess certain spent nuclear fuel (i.e., radioactive waste) under regulations for special nuclear material rather than regulations for production and utilization facilities. The bill applies to domestic facilities that reprocess spent nuclear fuel in a manner that does not separate plutonium from other transuranic elements (i.e., certain radioactive elements). Generally, such recycling facilities reprocess spent nuclear fuel into materials that may be reused as nuclear fuel for electricity.
While there are no commercial reprocessing facilities currently operating in the United States, the bill specifies which regulatory framework the NRC must use when issuing licenses to future facilities by excluding such facilities from the statutory definition of production facility. The licensing process under regulations for special nuclear material has fewer steps than the licensing process under regulations for production and utilization facilities.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Nuclear REFUEL Act of 2025
Also known as: Nuclear Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing Act of 2025
Latest action (Oct 29, 2025): Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 224.
Policy area: Energy · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jun 12, 2025
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.