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Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors

Published March 30, 2026. Takes effect April 29, 2026, printed at 91 FR 15696, amending 10 CFR 1, 10 CFR 10, 10 CFR 11, 10 CFR 140. 204,280 words.

In plain English

This adds a new path for licensing a nuclear plant. It weighs risk in a new way.

Read it at the Federal Register →

What the Rule Says It Does

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations by adding a risk-informed, performance-based, and technology-inclusive regulatory framework for commercial nuclear plants in response to the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA). The current application and licensing requirements were primarily developed to address license requests concerning light water- cooled reactors and operational requirements for those types of reactors. This final rule responds to NEIMA by creating an alternative, technology-inclusive regulatory framework to accommodate licensing of future commercial nuclear plants, including advanced reactor designs that may not employ light-water technology.

This is the rule's own summary, as the Federal Register prints it.

The Order It Names

The rule names this order itself. What it does about it is a reading, and none is recorded here.

On the Face of the Rule

As filed

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 60 (Monday, March 30, 2026)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 15696-15881] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-06048]

Vol. 91

Monday,

No. 60

March 30, 2026

Part II

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

10 CFR Parts 1, 2, et al.

Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors; Final Rule

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Parts 1, 2, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 30, 40, 50, 51, 53, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 95, 140, 150, 170, and 171

[NRC-2019-0062] RIN 3150-AK31

Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors

AGENCY

Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION

Final rule.

DATES

This final rule is effective on April 29, 2026.

ADDRESSES

Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2019-0062 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain publicly available information related to this action by any of the following methods:

Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2019-0062. Address questions about NRC dockets to Helen Chang; telephone: 301-415-3228; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document.

NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select “Begin ADAMS Search.” For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. For the convenience of the reader, instructions about obtaining materials referenced in this document are provided in the “Availability of Documents” section.

NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

Nicole Fields, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 630-829-9570, email: [email protected] and Anders Gilbertson, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, telephone: 301-415-1541, email: [email protected]. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

The fields the Federal Register prints at the head of the rule, quoted as printed. Its summary is quoted above.

Why the Agency Says It Is Doing This

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

This rulemaking is separate from the NRC's comprehensive review and reform of its regulations, including those governing transportation, in accordance with Executive Order (E.O.) 14300, “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission” (90 FR 22587; May 29, 2025). The rulemakings associated with that effort will comprehensively reexamine NRC requirements. While there could be additional revisions to part 53, “Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Commercial Nuclear Plants,” of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) as a result of these future rulemakings, the NRC is moving forward with publication of this final rule at this time because it is a deregulatory action of high interest for stakeholders that was in progress before the issuance of E.O. 14300.

The passage that opens the rule's preamble, where the agency sets out what it is doing and on what authority. Every heading that follows it is listed below.

What the Rule Contains

Every heading the Federal Register prints in this rule, in the order it prints them. 83 headings, 204,280 words in all.

  1. AGENCYOn its face · 4 words
  2. ACTIONOn its face · 3 words
  3. SUMMARYOn its face · 92 words
  4. DATESOn its face · 10 words
  5. ADDRESSESOn its face · 207 words
  6. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTOn its face · 43 words
  7. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATIONPreamble · 122 words
  8. Executive SummaryPreamble · 2 words
  9. A. Need for the Regulatory ActionPreamble · 412 words
  10. B. Major ProvisionsPreamble · 103 words
  11. C. Costs and BenefitsPreamble · 250 words
  12. Table of ContentsPreamble · 3 words
  13. I. BackgroundPreamble · 347 words
  14. I. BackgroundPreamble · 47 words
  15. NRC Advanced Reactor ReadinessPreamble · 968 words
  16. II. DiscussionPreamble · 2 words
  17. A. Objective and ApplicabilityPreamble · 201 words
  18. B. Need for Changes to the Existing Regulatory FrameworkPreamble · 1,790 words
  19. III. Part 53 FrameworkPreamble · 4 words
  20. Subpart A--General ProvisionsPreamble · 2,395 words
  21. Subpart B--Technology-Inclusive Safety RequirementsPreamble · 2,692 words
  22. Subpart C--Design and Analysis RequirementsPreamble · 5,065 words
  23. Subpart D--Siting RequirementsPreamble · 896 words
  24. Subpart E--Construction and Manufacturing RequirementsPreamble · 2,329 words
  25. Subpart F--Requirements for OperationPreamble · 10,018 words
  26. Subpart G--Decommissioning RequirementsPreamble · 349 words
  27. Subpart H--Licenses, Certifications, and ApprovalsPreamble · 7,217 words
  28. Subpart I--Maintaining and Revising Licensing-Basis InformationPreamble · 2,675 words
  29. Subpart J--Reporting and Other Administrative RequirementsPreamble · 888 words
  30. Subpart M--EnforcementPreamble · 120 words
  31. IV. Changes to Other Parts of 10 CFR Chapter IPreamble · 14 words
  32. A. IntroductionPreamble · 21,116 words
  33. D. Changes to Part 26, Subpart NPreamble · 211 words
  34. A. Section 50.160: Emergency Preparedness for Small Modular Reactors, Non-Light-Water Reactors, and Non-Power Production or Utilization FacilitiesPreamble · 6,343 words
  35. V. Opportunities for Public ParticipationPreamble · 148 words
  36. VI. Public Comment AnalysisPreamble · 176 words
  37. VII. Regulatory Flexibility CertificationPreamble · 125 words
  38. Number of Small Entities AffectedPreamble · 74 words
  39. Economic Impact on Small EntitiesPreamble · 142 words
  40. VIII. Regulatory AnalysisPreamble · 194 words
  41. IX. Backfitting and Issue FinalityPreamble · 555 words
  42. X. Cumulative Effects of RegulationPreamble · 203 words
  43. XI. Plain WritingPreamble · 57 words
  44. XII. Environmental Assessment and Final Finding of No Significant Environmental ImpactPreamble · 270 words
  45. XIII. Paperwork Reduction ActPreamble · 493 words
  46. Public Protection NotificationPreamble · 38 words
  47. XIV. Executive OrdersPreamble · 14 words
  48. A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review (as Amended by Executive Order 14215: Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies)Preamble · 40 words
  49. B. Executive Order 14154: Unleashing American EnergyPreamble · 29 words
  50. C. Executive Order 14192: Unleashing Prosperity Through DeregulationPreamble · 199 words
  51. D. Executive Order 14270: Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting To Unleash American EnergyPreamble · 140 words
  52. XV. Congressional Review ActPreamble · 48 words
  53. XVI. Criminal PenaltiesPreamble · 157 words
  54. XVII. Voluntary Consensus StandardsPreamble · 86 words
  55. XVIII. Availability of GuidancePreamble · 1,231 words
  56. XIX. Availability of DocumentsPreamble · 2,232 words
  57. List of SubjectsRegulatory text · 27,879 words
  58. IV. Procurement Document ControlRegulatory text · 151 words
  59. I. IntroductionRegulatory text · 321 words
  60. IV. Content of Emergency PlansRegulatory text · 729 words
  61. A. OrganizationRegulatory text · 433 words
  62. B. Assessment ActionsRegulatory text · 229 words
  63. C. Activation of Emergency OrganizationRegulatory text · 286 words
  64. D. Notification ProceduresRegulatory text · 524 words
  65. E. Emergency Facilities and EquipmentRegulatory text · 908 words
  66. F. TrainingRegulatory text · 1,855 words
  67. G. Maintaining Emergency PreparednessRegulatory text · 30 words
  68. H. RecoveryRegulatory text · 28 words
  69. I. Onsite Protective Actions During Hostile ActionRegulatory text · 50 words
  70. V. Implementing ProceduresRegulatory text · 4,357 words
  71. Subpart A--General ProvisionsRegulatory text · 7,389 words
  72. Subpart B--Technology-Inclusive Safety RequirementsRegulatory text · 791 words
  73. Subpart C--Design and Analysis RequirementsRegulatory text · 3,639 words
  74. Subpart D--Siting RequirementsRegulatory text · 1,013 words
  75. Subpart E--Construction and Manufacturing RequirementsRegulatory text · 4,308 words
  76. Subpart F--Requirements for OperationRegulatory text · 12,484 words
  77. Subpart G--Decommissioning RequirementsRegulatory text · 6,827 words
  78. Subpart H--Licenses, Certifications, and ApprovalsRegulatory text · 27,190 words
  79. Subpart I--Maintaining and Revising Licensing-Basis InformationRegulatory text · 9,187 words
  80. Subpart J--Reporting and Other Administrative RequirementsRegulatory text · 5,540 words
  81. Subpart M--EnforcementRegulatory text · 4,326 words
  82. Subpart J--Security Requirements at Commercial Nuclear PlantsRegulatory text · 6,073 words
  83. DefinitionsRegulatory text · 4,044 words

The Rest of the Text

This rule runs to 204,280 words. The rest of it is set out over 12 pages, split at the rule's own headings so that no heading is parted from the words printed under it.

How to cite this
  1. The rule itself

    Nuclear Regulatory Commission, “Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors,” 91 FR 15696 (March 30, 2026). Effective April 29, 2026.
    https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/30/2026-06048/risk-informed-technology-inclusive-regulatory-framework-for-advanced-reactors

  2. This page

    “Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors,” a final rule naming an order indexed here. Read the Mandate, https://readthemandate.org/rules/rule-2026-06048/ (retrieved October 10, 2026).

Cite the document when the claim is about what the document says. Cite this page when the indexing, the wording or the record of what has happened is what is being relied on.

How This Rule Is Set Out

Federal Register documents are United States government works and are not under copyright, so the rule is here whole rather than cut to an excerpt. It is split at the headings the Register itself prints: the line it is filed under, the captioned fields on its face, the preamble where the agency says what it is doing and why, and the amendments to the Code of Federal Regulations. No passage is shortened. This rule is long enough that its text is set out over 12 pages rather than one.

Two things the Register prints are not reproduced: the running head it repeats at every page break, and the tables it sets as pictures rather than as words. Its own marker for one of those tables, [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED], is left standing where the table was, so a reader can see that something is there and follow the link to the page it is on.