H.R. 7796

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7796 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7796

To assist communities affected by stranded nuclear waste, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 4, 2026

Mr. Lawler introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
Committees on Financial Services, and Ways and Means, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To assist communities affected by stranded nuclear waste, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Economic Recovery for Nuclear-
Affected Communities Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--
(1) communities throughout the United States, including 
communities in the States of California, Connecticut, Florida, 
Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New 
York, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin, are tasked with 
dealing with stranded nuclear waste;
(2) communities affected by stranded nuclear waste are de 
facto interim nuclear waste storage sites;
(3) the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101 
et seq.)--
(A) directed the Secretary of Energy to make annual 
impact assistance payments to States or appropriate 
units of local government to mitigate the social and 
economic impacts of the establishment and operation of 
interim nuclear waste storage capacity within the 
jurisdictional boundaries of an affected community; and
(B) established the rate for impact assistance 
payments at $15 per kilogram of spent nuclear fuel;
(4) decommissioning a commercial nuclear power plant is 
often catastrophic for the host community because nuclear power 
plants are major employers and the primary source of local tax 
revenue;
(5) stranded nuclear waste is a profound obstacle to future 
economic growth, deterring potential employers and residents 
from considering the host community;
(6) stranded nuclear waste prevents economic development in 
communities in which the stranded nuclear waste is located;
(7) stranded nuclear waste prevents communities from 
redeveloping sites where nuclear power plants previously 
operated which further inhibits tax revenues; and
(8) it is critical to provide resources to communities 
that--
(A) are challenged by stranded nuclear waste; or
(B) will be challenged by stranded nuclear waste 
during the 10-year period beginning on the date of 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
Administrator of the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
(2) Eligible civilian nuclear power plant.--The term 
``eligible civilian nuclear power plant'' means a civilian 
nuclear power plant (as defined in section 2 of the Nuclear 
Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101)) that--
(A) has been decommissioned; or
(B) is in the process of being decommissioned.
(3) Nuclear affected community.--The term ``nuclear 
affected community'' means a unit of local government, 
including a county, city, town, village, school district, or 
special district, that the Administrator determines to contain 
stranded nuclear waste within the jurisdictional boundary or 
contain an eligible civilian nuclear power plant within the 
jurisdictional boundary of such locality.
(4) Stranded nuclear waste.--The term ``stranded nuclear 
waste'' means nuclear waste or spent nuclear fuel stored in dry 
casks or spent fuel pools (as defined in section 2 of the 
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101)) at the site 
of an eligible civilian nuclear power plant.

SEC. 4. TAX INCENTIVES FOR AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.

(a) First-Time Homebuyer Credit.--
(1) In general.--Section 36 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 is amended--
(A) by inserting ``for nuclear affected 
communities'' after ``credit'' in the heading;
(B) in subsection (a), by striking ``in the United 
States'' and inserting ``in a nuclear affected 
community (as such term is defined in section 3 of the 
Economic Recovery for Nuclear-Affected Communities 
Act)'';
(C) in subsection (b), by striking paragraphs (2) 
and (3) and redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
(2); and
(D) by striking subsections (f), (g), and (h).
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for subpart 
C of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is 
amended by striking the item relating to section 36 and 
inserting the following new item:

``Sec. 36. First-time homebuyer credit for nuclear affected 
communities.''.
(b) Effective Dates.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to the purchase of a principal residence after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS PRIZE COMPETITION.

(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a competitive 
prize competition (referred to in this section as the ``prize 
competition'') to award prizes to proposals for affected communities to 
carry out alternatives to nuclear facilities, generating sites, and 
waste sites.
(b) Prize Board.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established an advisory board 
(referred to in this section as the ``Board'') to advise the 
Administrator on--
(A) the design and implementation of the prize 
competition; and
(B) the development of the pilot project under 
subsection (d).
(2) Composition.--The Board shall be composed of not fewer 
than 9 members appointed by the Administrator--
(A) who shall provide expertise in--
(i) nuclear waste;
(ii) workforce issues;
(iii) technology development; and
(iv) economic development; and
(B) who may include representatives from--
(i) The National Laboratories;
(ii) nonprofit organizations; and
(iii) institutions of higher education.
(c) Award Amount.--An award under the prize competition shall be in 
the amount of $500,000.
(d) Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator, in consultation with 
the Board, shall develop a pilot project based on the proposal 
of the winner of the prize competition.
(2) Funding.--Of the amounts made available under section 
7, the Administrator may use $500,000 to carry out the pilot 
project under paragraph (1).
(e) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date on which a prize 
is awarded under the prize competition, the Administrator shall submit 
to the relevant committees of Congress a report that describes the 
winning proposal of the prize competition.

SEC. 6. ECONOMIC IMPACT GRANTS FOR AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.

(a) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish and carry out 
a noncompetitive grant program to provide grants under either 
subsection (b) or subsection (c) to nuclear-affected communities for 
the purpose of--
(1) offsetting the economic and social impacts of stranded 
nuclear waste on affected communities; and
(2) supporting such communities that are in the process of 
decommissioning an eligible civilian nuclear power plant and 
that are facing decreased tax revenues or assessed valuation as 
a result of such decommissioning.
(b) Awards Based on Stranded Nuclear Waste.--
(1) Eligibility.--A nuclear affected community shall be 
eligible to receive a grant under this section for a fiscal 
year.
(2) Awards.--
(A) Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under 
subsection (a) shall be equal to $15 for each kilogram 
of spent nuclear fuel stored at the eligible civilian 
nuclear power plant in the nuclear affected community, 
consistent with the price paid per kilogram for impact 
assistance outlined in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 
1982.
(B) Number and frequency.--With respect to each 
eligible civilian nuclear power plant, the 
Administrator shall request submissions from affected 
nuclear communities and may only award 1 grant under 
subsection (a) to each eligible unit of local 
government for each fiscal year.
(c) Awards Based on Lost Tax Revenue.--
(1) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive financial 
assistance under this section, the affected community shall 
submit to the Administrator an application that includes 
documentation that the nuclear affected community has 
experienced, or is predicted to experience, during a calendar 
year beginning after December 31, 2014, and ending before 
January 1, 2026--
(A) a reduction of not less than 20 percent in 
overall tax revenue received by such affected community 
for such year compared with the average of such tax 
revenue for the previous 5 years; and
(B) a reduction in tax revenue attributable to a 
nuclear power plant received by such affected community 
for such year, compared with the average of such tax 
revenue for the previous 5 years, that is not less than 
20 percent of the average for such previous 5 years of 
the overall tax revenue received by such unit.
For purposes of this paragraph, the term ``tax revenue'' 
includes any payment in lieu of taxes received by an affected 
community.
(2) Assistance.--
(A) In general.--Subject to amounts made available 
in advance in appropriations Acts, financial assistance 
provided under this section to a nuclear affected 
community shall be made with respect to each year of 
the 8-year period beginning on the first day of the 
calendar year described in paragraph (1).
(B) Amount of assistance.--Subject to amounts made 
available in advance in appropriations Acts, financial 
assistance provided under this section to a nuclear 
affected community for a year of an 8-year period shall 
be equal to the lesser of $10,000,000 and--
(i) in the case of the first year of the 8-
year period, 80 percent of the loss described 
in paragraph (1)(B) with respect to such unit;
(ii) in the case of the second year of the 
8-year period, 70 percent of such loss;
(iii) in the case of the third year of the 
8-year period, 60 percent of such loss;
(iv) in the case of the fourth year of the 
8-year period, 50 percent of such loss;
(v) in the case of the fifth year of the 8-
year period, 40 percent of such loss;
(vi) in the case of the sixth year of the 
8-year period, 30 percent of such loss;
(vii) in the case of the seventh year of 
the 8-year period, 20 percent of such loss; and
(viii) in the case of the eighth year of 
the 8-year period, 10 percent of such loss.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $110,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031 
and $120,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2032 through 2036.
(b) No Offset.--None of the funds made available under this section 
may be used to offset the funding for any other Federal program.
(c) Limitation.--No nuclear affected community may receive more 
than one grant per calendar year, and cannot receive grants under both 
sections 6(b) and (c) in the same calendar year.
<all>