Establishment of Advanced Nuclear Technologies Transition Working Group

(a) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a working group to be known as the Advanced Nuclear Technologies Transition Working Group. (b) Membership The working group shall be composed of the following members, or designees thereof: (1) The Secretary of Defense. (2) The Secretaries of the military departments. (3) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (4) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. (5) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. (6) The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. (7) The Director of the Defense Innovation Unit. (8) The Director of the Strategic Capabilities Office. (9) The head of any other organizational entity of the Department of Defense the Chairperson determines appropriate. (c) Chairperson The Secretary of Defense, or a designee thereof, shall serve as the Chairperson of the working group. (d) Duties The duties of the working group shall include the following: (1) Developing and implementing a strategy to accelerate the procurement and fielding of commercially available advanced nuclear technologies using available authorities. (2) Identifying critical installation energy and operational energy needs of military installations and the combatant commands that may be addressed through the use of advanced nuclear technologies, ensuring such needs are considered in relation to efforts and planned efforts of the Department of Defense, and developing an accelerated pathway to leverage advanced nuclear technologies to address any gap in such needs. (3) Coordinating efforts among the members of the working group for the demonstration and transition of advanced nuclear technologies, including by increasing opportunities for collaboration between the Department of Defense and potential partners within the commercial nuclear industry with respect to research and development, testing and evaluation, and procurement activities relating to such technologies. (4) Coordinating with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies regarding the conduct of interagency activities and development of best practices to address obstacles to the rapid fielding of advanced nuclear technologies, including any such obstacle relating to workforce development, regulatory frameworks, licensing requirements, access to fuel sources, safety or security standards, or decommissioning. (5) Establishing opportunities for engagement with developers of advanced nuclear technologies within the commercial nuclear industry to assess the availability (including, as applicable, the timeline for availability) of micro-reactor and small modular reactor capabilities for potential application to meet the needs of the Department of Defense. (e) Meetings The working group shall meet at the call of the Chairperson and not less frequently than quarterly. (f) Briefings and reports (1) Initial briefing Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chairperson shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the organization, plans, milestones, and activities of the working group. (2) Annual report Not later than September 30, 2026, and annually thereafter until the date of termination under subsection (g), the Chairperson shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report describing, with respect to the year preceding the date of submission of the report, the plans, milestones, and activities of the working group, including a description of the status during such year of any project relating to advanced nuclear technologies, any funding or other requirement associated with such a project, and any plan to transition a capability under such a project. (g) Termination The working group shall terminate on September 30, 2029. (h) Definitions In this section: (1) The term micro-reactor means an advanced nuclear reactor, as such term is defined in section 951(b)(1) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271(b)(1)), with a rated capacity of less than 50 electrical megawatts. (2) The term operational energy has the meaning given that term in section 2924 of title 10, United States Code. (3) The term small modular reactor means an advanced nuclear reactor, as such term is defined in section 951(b)(1) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271(b)(1))— (A) with a rated capacity of less than 500 electrical megawatts; and (B) that may be constructed and operated in combination with similar reactors at a single site. (4) The term working group means the working group established under subsection (a).

(a) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a working group to be known as the Advanced Nuclear Technologies Transition Working Group. (b) Membership The working group shall be composed of the following members, or designees thereof: (1) The Secretary of Defense. (2) The Secretaries of the military departments. (3) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (4) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. (5) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. (6) The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. (7) The Director of the Defense Innovation Unit. (8) The Director of the Strategic Capabilities Office. (9) The head of any other organizational entity of the Department of Defense the Chairperson determines appropriate. (c) Chairperson The Secretary of Defense, or a designee thereof, shall serve as the Chairperson of the working group. (d) Duties The duties of the working group shall include the following: (1) Developing and implementing a strategy to accelerate the procurement and fielding of commercially available advanced nuclear technologies using available authorities. (2) Identifying critical installation energy and operational energy needs of military installations and the combatant commands that may be addressed through the use of advanced nuclear technologies, ensuring such needs are considered in relation to efforts and planned efforts of the Department of Defense, and developing an accelerated pathway to leverage advanced nuclear technologies to address any gap in such needs. (3) Coordinating efforts among the members of the working group for the demonstration and transition of advanced nuclear technologies, including by increasing opportunities for collaboration between the Department of Defense and potential partners within the commercial nuclear industry with respect to research and development, testing and evaluation, and procurement activities relating to such technologies. (4) Coordinating with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies regarding the conduct of interagency activities and development of best practices to address obstacles to the rapid fielding of advanced nuclear technologies, including any such obstacle relating to workforce development, regulatory frameworks, licensing requirements, access to fuel sources, safety or security standards, or decommissioning. (5) Establishing opportunities for engagement with developers of advanced nuclear technologies within the commercial nuclear industry to assess the availability (including, as applicable, the timeline for availability) of micro-reactor and small modular reactor capabilities for potential application to meet the needs of the Department of Defense. (e) Meetings The working group shall meet at the call of the Chairperson and not less frequently than quarterly. (f) Briefings and reports (1) Initial briefing Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chairperson shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the organization, plans, milestones, and activities of the working group. (2) Annual report Not later than September 30, 2026, and annually thereafter until the date of termination under subsection (g), the Chairperson shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report describing, with respect to the year preceding the date of submission of the report, the plans, milestones, and activities of the working group, including a description of the status during such year of any project relating to advanced nuclear technologies, any funding or other requirement associated with such a project, and any plan to transition a capability under such a project. (g) Termination The working group shall terminate on September 30, 2029. (h) Definitions In this section: (1) The term micro-reactor means an advanced nuclear reactor, as such term is defined in section 951(b)(1) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271(b)(1)), with a rated capacity of less than 50 electrical megawatts. (2) The term operational energy has the meaning given that term in section 2924 of title 10, United States Code. (3) The term small modular reactor means an advanced nuclear reactor, as such term is defined in section 951(b)(1) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271(b)(1))— (A) with a rated capacity of less than 500 electrical megawatts; and (B) that may be constructed and operated in combination with similar reactors at a single site. (4) The term working group means the working group established under subsection (a).