Spent Fuel Prioritization Act of 2025

HR 1012, the Spent Fuel Prioritization Act of 2025, amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to change how the federal government prioritizes accepting spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from civilian power plants. The bill requires the Secretary to prioritize waste based on four specific factors: whether the reactor is decommissioned (highest priority), the population size of the surrounding area, the earthquake hazard level in the area, and national security risks related to local storage. This directly affects nuclear power plant operators and communities near reactors, as waste from plants meeting these criteria would be processed faster for disposal or storage. The law does not create new waste generation but changes the order in which existing waste is managed.