Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act of 2025

This bill requires the Secretary of Energy to study new technologies and opportunities for recycling spent nuclear fuel. The Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, must carry out a study within 90 days of enactment. The study must analyze the practicability, benefits, costs, and risks of using dedicated recycling facilities to convert spent nuclear fuel into usable fuels for commercial light water reactors, advanced nuclear reactors, and non-reactor applications like medical, space-based, and advanced-battery uses. It must also compare recycling with the once-through fuel cycle, including storage requirements, and analyze aqueous versus non-aqueous recycling processes. The study must analyze the feasibility of extracting isotopes for domestic and international use, assess coupling recycling facilities with reactors or storage, identify parties impacted by current spent fuel storage, and recommend siting and sizing approaches for recycling facilities. It must identify tracking methods for recycled fuel and waste, identify regulatory gaps in definitions for radioactive waste, and evaluate policy changes to support recycling and its impacts on storage requirements. Within one year of enactment, the Secretary must submit a public report to specified congressional committees, not exceeding 120 pages, that describes the study results and includes sections on historical overview, findings, remaining challenges, and policy recommendations.