MORE American Fuel Act of 2026

S. 5249, the MORE American Fuel Act of 2026, would amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to change how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses uranium enrichment facilities. Under current law, an applicant must obtain NRC approval before beginning construction. The bill would let an applicant start building an enrichment facility after the NRC dockets the license application but before operating approval is granted, provided the work complies with all applicable federal laws and is done entirely at the applicant's own risk. It also restructures the hearing process, allowing any person affected by a facility's operation to request a hearing and be admitted as a party, while removing the separate construction-related hearing step.

The change primarily affects companies seeking to build new uranium enrichment plants, as well as state governors, local governments, and Native American tribes near a proposed site, who would be entitled to written notice at least 15 days before construction begins. It does not remove the NRC's authority to deny an operating license if construction wasn't done properly, or to regulate construction as needed for licensing and oversight.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 5, 2026, by Sen. Mark Kelly with Sen. Cynthia Lummis as a cosponsor, and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. It would need to be approved by that committee, then pass the full Senate and House, and be signed by the President before becoming law. If enacted, the NRC would have 180 days to issue implementing regulations.

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