House passes bill limiting reactor safety advisory committee to 15 members

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Nuclear Advisory Committee Reform Act on Nov. 9, 2026, a bill to update the role of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards in the licensing and oversight of nuclear reactor facilities.

Under the bill, H.R. 9613, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards would have a maximum of 15 members. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) would appoint them, and they would represent a diverse background of technical expertise relevant to the NRC's mission.

The NRC could appoint a member for not more than two terms of four years each, according to the bill. It could appoint a member for more than two terms if it determines there is a compelling need for that member's continued service. The term limits would apply to members appointed after the act's enactment.

The bill says the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards would review safety studies and facility license applications referred to it. It would also advise the NRC on the hazards of proposed or existing reactor facilities and on the adequacy of proposed reactor safety standards.

To the extent practicable, the committee would focus on issues that directly relate to facility design, are safety significant, are unique, novel or noteworthy, and have not previously been acted on by the committee, the bill says.

The committee could decline to review a license application if it determines that the application does not contain unique, novel or noteworthy issues or does not raise issues that warrant its review.

The bill would also require the NRC to maintain policies to ensure efficient and timely action by the committee and to designate one member as its chairperson.