Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§2232 License Applications
Title 42 › CHAPTER 23 — DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROL OF ATOMIC ENERGY › SUBCHAPTER XV — JUDICIAL REVIEW AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE › § 2232
Summary
Require license requests to be written and to give whatever facts the Nuclear Regulatory Commission needs to judge the applicant. For licenses to build or run production or use facilities, the request must include technical details—like how much and what kind of special nuclear material is needed, where it will be used, and the facility’s key features. The Commission can ask for more written information any time after filing and before the license ends. All papers must be signed; some applications and statements must be sworn under oath, and the Commission can require oaths for others. Have the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards review certain construction and operating license applications and any referred amendments, and put its report in the public record except for classified parts. Before issuing a commercial power license, the Commission must notify the appropriate rate regulator, publish trade/news notice as it finds suitable, publish notice once each week for four consecutive weeks in the Federal Register, and wait four weeks after the last notice. When licenses are limited, give priority to projects in high-cost power areas and to public or cooperative applicants.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §2232
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Contents and form
Each application for a license hereunder shall be in writing and shall specifically state such information as the Commission, by rule or regulation, may determine to be necessary to decide such of the technical and financial qualifications of the applicant, the character of the applicant, the citizenship of the applicant, or any other qualifications of the applicant as the Commission may deem appropriate for the license. In connection with applications for licenses to operate production or utilization facilities, the applicant shall state such technical specifications, including information of the amount, kind, and source of special nuclear material required, the place of the use, the specific characteristics of the facility, and such other information as the Commission may, by rule or regulation, deem necessary in order to enable it to find that the utilization or production of special nuclear material will be in accord with the common defense and security and will provide adequate protection to the health and safety of the public. Such technical specifications shall be a part of any license issued. The Commission may at any time after the filing of the original application, and before the expiration of the license, require further written statements in order to enable the Commission to determine whether the application should be granted or denied or whether a license should be modified or revoked. All applications and statements shall be signed by the applicant or licensee. Applications for, and statements made in connection with, licenses under section 2133 and 2134 of this title shall be made under oath or affirmation. The Commission may require any other applications or statements to be made under oath or affirmation.
(b)Review of applications by Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; report
The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards shall review each application under section 2133 or section 2134(b) of this title for a construction permit or an operating license for a facility, any application under section 2134(c) of this title for a construction permit or an operating license for a testing facility, any application under subsection (a) or (c) of section 2134 of this title specifically referred to it by the Commission, and any application for an amendment to a construction permit or an amendment to an operating license under section 2133 or 2134(a), (b), or (c) of this title specifically referred to it by the Commission, and shall submit a report thereon which shall be made part of the record of the application and available to the public except to the extent that security classification prevents disclosure.
(c)Commercial power; publication
The Commission shall not issue any license under section 2133 of this title for a utilization or production facility for the generation of commercial power until it has given notice in writing to such regulatory agency as may have jurisdiction over the rates and services incident to the proposed activity; until it has published notice of the application in such trade or news publications as the Commission deems appropriate to give reasonable notice to municipalities, private utilities, public bodies, and cooperatives which might have a potential interest in such utilization or production facility; and until it has published notice of such application once each week for four consecutive weeks in the Federal Register, and until four weeks after the last notice.
(d)Preferred consideration
The Commission, in issuing any license for a utilization or production facility for the generation of commercial power under section 2133 of this title, shall give preferred consideration to applications for such facilities which will be located in high cost power areas in the United States if there are conflicting applications for a limited opportunity for such license. Where such conflicting applications resulting from limited opportunity for such license include those submitted by public or cooperative bodies such applications shall be given preferred consideration.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1970—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 91–560 substituted provisions requiring notification by publication giving reasonable notice to municipalities, private utilities, public bodies, and cooperatives which might have a potential interest in such utilization or production facility, for provisions requiring notice in writing to municipalities, private utilities, public bodies and cooperatives within transmission distance authorized to engage in the distribution of electric energy. 1962—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 87–615 substituted provisions requiring review of applications under section 2133 or 2134(b) of this title for a
Construction
permit or an operating license for a facility, or under section 2134(c) of this title for a testing facility, for provisions which required review of license applications for such facilities, and inserted provisions requiring review of any application for an amendment to a
Construction
permit or operating license under section 2133 or 2134(a), (b), or (c) of this title specifically referred to it by the Commission. 1957—Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 85–256 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d), respectively. 1956—Subsec. (a). Act Aug. 6, 1956, struck out “under oath or affirmation” from last sentence, and inserted two sentences at end requiring applications and statements in connection with section 2133 and 2134 to be made under oath or affirmation and authorizing Commission to require any other applications or statements to be made under oath or affirmation.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Termination of Advisory CommitteesAdvisory committees in existence on Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period following Jan. 5, 1973, unless, in the case of a committee established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such committee is renewed by appropriate action prior to the expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a committee established by the Congress, its duration is otherwise provided by law. See section 1013 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 2232
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110