Civil Nuclear Export Act of 2026

James E. Risch

Republican · ID · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Mark R. Warner (D-VA)Original· 2026-08-05

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

2026-08-05

Source: Congress.gov

Civil Nuclear Export Act of 2026 This bill provides the Export-Import Bank with certain authorities to finance civil nuclear energy exports. Specifically, the bill allows the Export-Import Bank to provide financing for the purchase of liquid metal fast breeder nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities if the purchase is otherwise permitted by law. Additionally, the bill expands the China and Transformational Exports Program (CTEP) by making civil nuclear energy eligible for financing under the program. Currently, the bank may extend loans, guarantees, and insurance to advance the comparative leadership of the United States with respect to China in specified export areas (e.g., artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and wireless communications equipment). This bill expands those areas to include civil nuclear energy technologies, materials, services, and related infrastructure and goods. The bill also revises the financial limitation on the outstanding aggregate amount of all of the bank's loans, guarantees, and insurance. In particular, the bill exempts those amounts attributed by the bank to CTEP, as long as that financing does not exceed a specified amount. The bill also increases from 2% to 4% the bank's default rate cap. Further, the bill allows the bank to exclude financing under CTEP from this default rate, subject to approval of the bank's board of directors.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 5254 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5254 To modify the prohibition on financing of civil nuclear energy by the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES August 5, 2026 Mr. Risch (for himself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To modify the prohibition on financing of civil nuclear energy by the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Civil Nuclear Export Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF PROHIBITION ON FINANCING OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES. Section 2(b)(5) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 635(b)(5)) is amended, in the first sentence, by inserting ``, except any such purchase that is otherwise permitted under an agreement made in accordance with section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2153) or any other applicable law of the United States'' after ``reprocessing facility''. SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF PROGRAM ON CHINA AND TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPORTS. Section 2(l)(1)(B) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 635(l)(1)(B)) is amended-- (1) by redesignating clause (xi) as clause (xii); and (2) by inserting after clause (x) the following: ``(xi) Civil nuclear energy technologies, materials, services, and related infrastructure and goods.''. SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF LENDING CAP. Section 6(a) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 635e(a)) is amended-- (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``applicable amount.'' and inserting ``applicable amount, unless the aggregate amount that is in excess of the applicable amount-- ``(A) is attributed by the Bank to loans, guarantees, and insurance under the Program on China and Transformational Exports pursuant to section 2(l); and ``(B) does not exceed $50,000,000,000.''; (2) in paragraph (3)-- (A) in the header, by striking ``2'' and inserting ``4''; and (B) by striking ``2 percent'' each place it appears and inserting ``4 percent''; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(5) Authority to attribute loans, guarantees, and insurance.--The Bank may attribute any loan, guarantee, or insurance issued under the Program on China and Transformational Exports pursuant to section 2(l) toward the aggregate amount that is in excess of the applicable amount described in paragraph (1) without regard to the date on which the Bank issued such loan, guarantee, or insurance.''. SEC. 5. MODIFICATION OF MONITORING OF DEFAULT RATES. Section 8(g) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 635g(g)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(7) Exclusion of transactions relating to the program on china and transformational exports.--For the purposes of this subsection, if financing provided under the Program on China and Transformational Exports pursuant to section 2(l) results in the default rate calculated under paragraph (1) equaling or exceeding 4 percent, the Bank may exclude such financing, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.''. <all>

• S5374A bill to facilitate the conveyance of certain land in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, platted under section 2387 of the Revised Statutes, and for other purposes.
  Referred to Committee · 2026-09-30
• S1254A bill to amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes.
  Referred to Committee · 2026-09-30
• S5484Affordable HOMES Act of 2026
  Referred to Committee · 2026-09-23
• S1257A bill to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize the use of funds for certain additional Carey Act projects, and for other purposes.
  Reported by Committee · 2026-09-17