Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – 10/21/25… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) introduced the Reactor Expenditure Accountability and Compliance Transparency (REACT) Act, legislation that ensures stronger oversight and public accountability for how nuclear power plants use their decommissioning trust funds.

The bill directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to require power reactor licensees to include more detailed and transparent reporting in their financial assurance status reports, including earned interest, projected annual returns, and a full accounting of expenditures drawn from decommissioning trust funds.

Decommissioning trust funds, which can amount to hundreds of millions of dollars per site, are intended to cover the costs of safely dismantling nuclear power plants once they are no longer in operation. However, reporting standards for how those funds are invested and spent vary and lack sufficient detail, raising concerns among communities and regulators.

“Taxpayers and ratepayers deserve full transparency when it comes to how nuclear decommissioning funds are being used. Communities that have hosted nuclear facilities for decades,  including right here in New York’s Hudson Valley,  have every right to know that these funds are being managed responsibly, with proper oversight and accountability. The REACT Act is a common-sense step to ensure openness and protect the public interest," said Congressman Lawler. 

Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

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Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.