On June 23, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a 253-page proposed rulemaking to modernize its security regulations — one of the most expansive updates the agency has put forward in recent memory. NRC Chairman Ho Nieh framed the proposal as a deliberate move away from rules built around “the threats and technologies of the past.”
The proposal spans four distinct regulatory areas: fitness for duty programs, physical security requirements, spent fuel storage installation rules, and facility security clearance procedures for national security information.
NRC publishes omnibus security rulemaking proposal
The 253-page document stands out for its breadth. Its provisions fall under the security umbrella but range from employee drug testing schedules to licensing rules for spent fuel storage sites—areas that share a regulatory category but little else in practice. The NRC doesn’t use the term “omnibus” to describe the package, though the label fits: a single rulemaking vehicle carrying several loosely related reforms at once.
Chairman Ho Nieh stated the goal plainly. The proposal aims to “focus on credible risks, enable innovation, and eliminate unnecessary burden without compromising security.” The full document is publicly available on the NRC website and was expected to appear in the Federal Register within days of the June 23 release.
Executive Order 14300 drives the regulatory overhaul
The proposal doesn’t exist in a vacuum. In 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14300, titled “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory “Commission”—directing the agency to conduct a broad overhaul of its structure, culture, and regulations, with the stated aim of facilitating increased deployment of new nuclear technologies and expanding overall capacity.
Since the order took effect, the NRC has moved quickly. Changes have already been rolled out to the Differing Views Program, the Reactor Oversight Program, nuclear materials rules, and mandatory hearing timelines. The pace has been fast enough that tracking every change has become difficult even for close observers of the agency.
The June 23 security proposal is the latest entry in that series, reflecting the same underlying directive: move away from prescriptive, historically rooted rules and toward criteria that account for current risks and modern technology.
What the four provisions would change
The proposal is organized into four provisions, each targeting a different slice of NRC security regulation.
Fitness for Duty addresses drug and alcohol testing and fatigue management. The NRC proposes reducing the frequency of randomized testing and aligning its fatigue management requirements with those of other federal agencies—reducing administrative burden without weakening the underlying safety purpose of the program.
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations focuses on facilities that store spent nuclear fuel but are not co-located with an operating reactor. The NRC proposes to clarify licensing and security requirements for these sites, calibrating the rules to match their specific risk profiles rather than applying standards designed for co-located facilities.
Physical Security is the broadest of the four provisions. The NRC proposes shifting from prescriptive rules to performance-based, risk-informed criteria across a wide range of areas: access authorization, cybersecurity, safeguards, information handling, event notifications, and training. That shift is designed to accommodate new and diverse reactor designs that don’t fit neatly into the assumptions embedded in older regulations.
Facility Security Clearance is the most targeted provision. The NRC proposes removing requirements related to security clearances and the safeguarding of national security information and restricted data that it considers duplicative—rules that exist elsewhere in federal regulation and don’t need to appear twice in NRC-specific form.
Taken together, the four provisions reflect the agency’s stated direction: away from rules written around fixed procedures and toward standards that measure outcomes and account for technological change.
Next steps: Federal Register publication and public comment period
Publication in the Federal Register was expected within days of June 23, formally opening a 30-day public comment period. During that window, individuals, organizations, and industry stakeholders can submit written responses to the proposal.
The NRC will also host a public meeting as part of the review process, though no specific date or format had been announced at the time of publication.
The agency characterizes these changes as a continuation of its shift toward “performance-based, risk-informed, technology-inclusive criteria”—language it has used consistently across recent rulemaking activity—while maintaining its stated commitment to public health, safety, and national security.
A public meeting for stakeholder input
The June 23 proposal represents one of the more expansive security rulemakings the NRC has put forward in recent years, covering fitness for duty, spent fuel storage, physical security, and facility security clearances under a single proposed rule. The effort is directly linked to Executive Order 14300 and fits into a broader pattern of accelerated regulatory change at the agency. A 30-day comment period follows Federal Register publication, and a public meeting will give stakeholders a formal opportunity to weigh in before any final rule takes shape.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
