The eRulemaking Program
03/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/11/2026 07:26
Streamlining Contested Adjudications in Licensing Proceedings
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Parts 2, 51, 52, and 54
[NRC-2025-1501]
RIN 3150-AL58
Streamlining Contested Adjudications in Licensing Proceedings
AGENCY:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION:
Public meeting.
SUMMARY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) plans to hold a virtual-only public meeting to discuss the proposed revisions to the agency's rules of practice and procedure to streamline contested adjudications in NRC licensing proceedings.
DATES:
The NRC plans to hold the virtual-only public meeting on March 19, 2026, during the 30-day public comment period. See section II, Public Meeting, of this document for more information on the meeting.
ADDRESSES:
Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2025-1501 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-2025-1501. 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 Public Search." For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected].
• 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 (ET), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Spencer, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-287-9115; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On March 3, 2026, the NRC published a notice in the Federal Register for a 30-day public comment period (91 FR 10450). The proposed rule would revise the agency's rules of practice and procedure to streamline contested adjudications in NRC licensing proceedings in response to the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024 (ADVANCE Act) and Executive Order (E.O.) 14300, "Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission." The proposed changes to the contested hearing process would reduce burden, increase clarity, and promote efficiencies in line with the deadlines established in accordance with the ADVANCE Act and E.O. 14300. The public comment period for the proposed rule will close on April 2, 2026.
II. Public Meeting
The NRC staff will hold a virtual-only public meeting on March 19, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET, during the planned 30-day comment period to present the proposed rule. At that time, stakeholders will have an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification from the NRC staff. Please note that this public meeting is not an avenue for submitting comments on the proposed rule. The proposed rule (91 FR 10450) includes instructions on how to submit comments.
Interested stakeholders may attend via telephone or online seminar. The public meeting will include a presentation of the contents of the proposed rule; and an opportunity for government agencies, organizations, and individuals to ask questions. No comments on the proposed rule will be accepted during the meeting.
Persons interested in attending this meeting should monitor the NRC's Public Meeting Schedule web page at https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg for additional information, agendas for the meeting, and access information for the meeting.
If special equipment or accommodations are needed to attend or present information at a public meeting, please contact Dennis Andrukat, telephone: 301-415-3561, email: [email protected].
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dated: March 9, 2026.
Jennifer Scro,
Acting Assistant General Counsel for Rulemaking, Agreement States, and Fee Policy, Office of the General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2026-04763 Filed 3-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
The eRulemaking Program published this content on March 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 11, 2026 at 13:26 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]