To require the Secretary of Energy to study new technologies and opportunities for recycling spent nuclear fuel.

119th Congress Introduced by Tim Moore and 1 co-sponsor

The bill would require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a comprehensive study of technologies and opportunities for recycling spent nuclear fuel, evaluating technical, economic,

Introduced in House

Summary of HR 9197 (Session 119)

Purpose and intent

HR 9197 would require the Secretary of Energy to study new technologies and opportunities related to recycling spent nuclear fuel.

The goal is to identify potential approaches to safely and effectively recycle spent nuclear fuel and to evaluate associated technical, economic, environmental, and security considerations.

Key provisions and changes

Federal duty: The bill directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a comprehensive study focused on technologies and opportunities for recycling spent nuclear fuel (SNF).

Scope of study: While the exact scope is not provided in the summary, such studies typically cover:

Technical feasibility of various recycling/reprocessing methods.
Potential reductions in radiotoxic inventory, proliferation risk, and waste volumes.
Economic viability, including capital costs, operating costs, and market considerations.
Environmental impacts and safety considerations.
Infrastructure, supply chain, and workforce implications.
Policy, regulatory, and security implications, including safeguards and nonproliferation concerns.

Deliverables and timeline: The bill would ordinarily specify a timeframe for the study and require a final report or set of findings to Congress, though specific dates are not listed in the provided information.

Potential follow-on actions: Depending on findings, the bill could lead to further legislative or administrative actions to support or regulate SNF recycling technologies.

Who would be affected

Federal energy policymakers and agencies (primarily the Department of Energy) would conduct the study.

Nuclear energy stakeholders, including utilities, research institutions, reactor operators, and nuclear waste management entities, could be affected by any resulting policy recommendations or subsequent legislative actions.

The public could be affected indirectly through implications for nuclear fuel cycling, waste management practices, environmental safety, and national energy strategy.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Status: Introduced in the House and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on June 8, 2026.

Sponsors:

Co-sponsors: Tim Moore and Scott Peters.

Next steps: The Committee on Energy and Commerce would consider the bill, potentially producing a committee report, and may advance it to the full House for consideration. If enacted, the study would be implemented by the Department of Energy with required reporting back to Congress as specified.

Potential impact and considerations

By mandating a formal study, the bill seeks to illuminate viable pathways for SNF recycling and to inform policy without prescribing a specific technology or funding authorization at this stage.

Outcomes could influence future funding priorities, research direction, and regulatory frameworks related to nuclear fuel cycle management, waste minimization, and national security.

The focus on “new technologies and opportunities” suggests an emphasis on innovative approaches, possibly including advanced reprocessing, partitioning, or alternative fuel cycles, subject to technical readiness and safety standards.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to emphasize specific stakeholder impacts (utilities, regulators, public safety, environmental groups) or contrast it with existing U.S. SNF recycling programs and international context.