Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act

This bill amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to make hearings on nuclear facility construction applications more efficient. It changes when hearings are required and directs the use of informal procedures for those hearings.

Sec. 2, Updating hearing procedures: The bill modifies Section 189 a. of the Atomic Energy Act. It allows the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue certain permits and licenses without a hearing if no one requests one, after 30 days' notice and Federal Register publication. It can skip that notice for amendments that involve no significant hazards. For any hearing that is held, the Commission must use informal adjudicatory procedures. The bill also updates related sections to match these changes, including for construction permits and uranium enrichment facility licenses. These changes apply to all applications and proceedings pending on or after the bill's enactment date.