text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Nuclear Innovation Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Advanced fission reactor.--The term ``advanced fission 
          reactor'' means a nuclear fission reactor with significant 
          improvements over the most recent generation of nuclear 
          reactors, which may include inherent safety features, lower 
          waste yields, greater fuel utilization, superior reliability, 
          resistance to proliferation, and increased thermal efficiency.
              (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
          Department of Energy.
              (3) National laboratories.--The term ``National 
          Laboratories'' has the meaning given the term in section 2 of 
          the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
              (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of Energy.
  
  SEC. 3. HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTATION AND SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH.
  
      (a) Modeling and Simulation.--The Secretary shall carry out a 
  program to enhance the Nation's capabilities to develop new reactor 
  technologies through high-performance computation modeling and 
  simulation techniques. This program shall coordinate with relevant 
  Federal agencies through the National Strategic Computing Initiative 
  created under Executive Order 13702 (July 29, 2015) while taking into 
  account the following objectives:
              (1) Utilizing expertise from the private sector, 
          universities, and National Laboratories to develop 
          computational software and capabilities that prospective users 
          may access to accelerate research and development of advanced 
          fission reactor systems, nuclear fusion systems, and reactor 
          systems for space exploration.
              (2) Developing computational tools to simulate and predict 
          nuclear phenomena that may be validated through physical 
          experimentation.
              (3) Increasing the utility of the Department's research 
          infrastructure by coordinating with the Advanced Scientific 
          Computing Research program within the Office of Science.
              (4) Leveraging experience from the Energy Innovation Hub 
          for Modeling and Simulation.
              (5) Ensuring that new experimental and computational tools 
          are accessible to relevant research communities.
      (b) Supportive Research Activities.--The Secretary shall consider 
  support for additional research activities to maximize the utility of 
  its research facilities, including physical processes to simulate 
  degradation of materials and behavior of fuel forms and for validation 
  of computational tools.
  
  SEC. 4. ENABLING NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION.
  
      (a) National Reactor Innovation Center.--The Secretary shall carry 
  out a program to enable the testing and demonstration of reactor 
  concepts to be proposed and funded by the private sector. The Secretary 
  shall leverage the technical expertise of relevant Federal agencies and 
  National Laboratories in order to minimize the time required to enable 
  construction and operation of privately funded experimental reactors at 
  National Laboratories or other Department-owned sites while ensuring 
  reasonable safety for persons working within these sites. Such reactors 
  shall operate to meet the following objectives:
              (1) Enabling physical validation of novel reactor concepts.
              (2) Resolving technical uncertainty and increasing 
          practical knowledge relevant to safety, resilience, security, 
          and functionality of first-of-a-kind reactor concepts.
              (3) General research and development to improve nascent 
          technologies.
      (b) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
  of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
  National Laboratories, relevant Federal agencies, and other 
  stakeholders, shall transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
  Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
  and Natural Resources of the Senate a report assessing the Department's 
  capabilities to authorize, host, and oversee privately funded fusion 
  and advanced fission experimental reactors as described under 
  subsection (a). The report shall address the following:
              (1) The Department's safety review and oversight 
          capabilities, including options to leverage expertise from the 
          Nuclear Regulatory Commission and National Laboratories.
              (2) Potential sites capable of hosting activities described 
          under subsection (a).
              (3) The efficacy of the Department's available contractual 
          mechanisms to partner with the private sector and Federal 
          agencies, including cooperative research and development 
          agreements, strategic partnership projects, and agreements for 
          commercializing technology.
              (4) Potential cost structures related to physical security, 
          decommissioning, liability, and other long term project costs.
              (5) Other challenges or considerations identified by the 
          Secretary.
target: Nuclear Innovation Act This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to carry out a program for enhancing the U.S. capability to develop new reactor technologies through high-performance computation modeling and simulation techniques. Such program shall coordinate with relevant federal agencies through the National Strategic Computing Initiative while taking into account specified objectives. DOE shall also carry out a program to:  enable the testing and demonstration of reactor concepts proposed and funded by the private sector, and leverage the technical expertise of relevant federal agencies and national laboratories to minimize the time required to enable construction and operation of privately funded experimental reactors at national laboratories or other DOE-owned sites.   These reactors shall operate to:  enable physical validation of novel reactor concepts; resolve technical uncertainty and increase practical knowledge relevant to safety, resilience, security, and functionality of first-of-a-kind reactor concepts; and  generate research and development to improve nascent technologies.  
feat_title: Nuclear Innovation Act