Nuclear REFUEL Act of 2025
Reported from committee- Bill / vehicle
- S.2082 / H.R.3978 (119th Congress)
- Status
- Reported from committee
- Date
- Reported from Senate EPW, Oct. 29, 2025
- Administration
- Trump II
- Topic
- Spent-fuel recycling / reprocessing
- Sponsors
- Sens. Jon Husted (R-OH) & Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); House by Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) & Scott Peters (D-CA)
What it does
Would make it easier to license facilities that recycle used nuclear fuel. It amends the Atomic Energy Act so that a device that reprocesses spent fuel without separating out pure plutonium isn't treated as a heavily regulated 'production facility,' letting these plants license under the lighter NRC Part 70 process instead.
Why it matters
A targeted fix aimed at unlocking domestic fuel recycling — turning the country's ~90,000+ tons of stranded used fuel into feedstock for advanced reactors. It cleared the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee but has not had a floor vote, so it is not law.
This is a bill, not law. It may be amended significantly or fail to advance — most introduced bills never become law. Check the live status via the sources below.
Primary sources
Learn the underlying ideas
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