July 22, 2026
Mr. Budd (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Ricketts, and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
To establish in the Department of State a Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology program, 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 FIRST Act
.
Sec. 2. Establishment of Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology program
(a) In general
There is established within the Department of State a Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology program (hereafter in this section referred to as the FIRST program
).
(b) Program functions
The Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, or the designee of the Under Secretary, shall manage the FIRST program, which shall—
(1)
promote responsible deployment of civil nuclear energy internationally that benefits United States economic and national security interests;
(2)
advocate, through relevant bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagements and forums, for civil nuclear energy projects, technology, and products sourced or exported from United States businesses;
(3)
engage in diplomacy with partner governments on prioritizing the highest safety, security, and nonproliferation standards as requirements for civil nuclear reactor deployment decisions, including with regard to small modular reactor infrastructure, technology, and products;
(4)
provide consultation to partner countries regarding best practices in the field of licensing, legal, and regulatory frameworks for the importation or adoption of United States nuclear reactor infrastructure, technology, or products;
(5)
provide early-stage commercial project development support, including feasibility and engineering studies, support for grid integration, and workforce development, all of which are critical to launching United States commercial civil nuclear projects abroad and ensure fair market access for United States businesses relative to state-backed competitors; and
(6)
cooperate with partner countries in the areas of training programs, technical resource sharing, and potential coordination of codes and standards to support the facilitation of small modular reactor fleet deployment.
(c) Report
(1) In general
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, or the designee of such Under Secretary, shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes—
(A)
details on the implementation of the FIRST program;
(B)
a description of FIRST program diplomatic outreach and activities, including bilateral and multilateral engagements that promote activities described in subsection (b);
(C)
the list of current contributing partners of the FIRST program;
(D)
details relating to potential or ongoing cooperation with contributing partners of the FIRST program related to program activities described in subsection (b);
(E)
a description of engagements and activities conducted by the Department of State to promote and expand the FIRST program to additional potential contributing partners;
(F)
a description of FIRST program-related engagements with United States businesses in the civil nuclear sector; and
(G)
a description of funds expended on FIRST program-related activities, including programming that uses funds from Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs and related funding sources within the Department.
(2) Form
The report required by this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex submitted separately from the unclassified portion.
(d) Briefing
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, or the designee of the Under Secretary, shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing that includes the information required in subsection (c).
(e) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees
The term appropriate congressional committees means—
(A)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of the Representatives; and
(B)
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(2) United States business
The term United States business has the meaning given such term in section 2304 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4724).
(f) Sunset
This section shall terminate on June 8, 2034.