US Federal House Bill HB5803

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 10/21/25
• Refer: 10/21/25

Caption

REACT Act

Summary

HB5803, the Reactor Expenditure Accountability and Compliance Transparency Act, would direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to revise its regulations so that power reactor licensees using decommissioning trust funds must provide additional reporting in their financial assurance status reports. The required disclosures would include any interest earned by the trust fund, the projected annual rate of return, and a detailed list of expenditures made for decommissioning activities from withdrawals of the fund. The bill is aimed at increasing transparency and oversight over how nuclear plant operators manage funds set aside to safely decommission reactors at the end of their operating life. By requiring more detailed reporting to the NRC, the measure would not directly change decommissioning requirements themselves, but it would expand the information available to regulators about trust fund performance and spending.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would require the NRC to amend 10 CFR 50.82, the regulation governing decommissioning of nuclear power reactors, to add new reporting obligations for licensees that rely on decommissioning trust funds. This would affect nuclear power reactor operators, especially those in decommissioning or planning for decommissioning, by imposing more detailed financial disclosure requirements and potentially increasing compliance and administrative burdens. It would also give the NRC more visibility into trust fund earnings, expected returns, and how withdrawals are used for decommissioning-related expenses.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript, amendments, or votes, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to indicate broad support or opposition. Based on the bill text and its stated purpose, the measure appears to be framed as a transparency and accountability proposal rather than a substantive policy overhaul, which may make it more likely to attract support from lawmakers concerned with nuclear oversight and financial stewardship. However, without recorded discussion, the overall sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s neutral, oversight-oriented framing.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill’s requirements, could include whether the new reporting obligations are necessary or duplicative, whether they impose undue administrative costs on reactor licensees, and whether the NRC already has sufficient authority and information to oversee decommissioning trust funds. Any disagreement would likely center on the balance between regulatory transparency and compliance burden.