West Virginia legislature approves bill to become NRC agreement state

The West Virginia legislature this week approved a bill that would let Charleston regulate nuclear materials in cooperation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The final bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Jim Justice (R), who is also running for U.S. Senate and who media reported had a commanding lead in recent polls in the race for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

The state House on Tuesday voted 86-3, with 10 lawmakers absent, to approve amendments the state Senate passed the same day, by 25-5 with four absences, to a bipartisan bill the House approved on Sept. 30 by a vote of 73-18, with nine members not voting. 

Rep. Roger Hanshaw (R), the speaker of the state House of Representatives, was the bill’s lead sponsor. Rep. Sean Hornbuckle (D), the House minority leader, cosponsored the bill.

West Virginia in 2023 notified the NRC that Charleston would seek an agreement with the federal agency to regulate nuclear material at the state level. All but 12 U.S. states have such agreements with the commission. Some of those, including this year South Dakota, have passed their own laws to open the door for NRC agreements.

By federal law, agreement states must make their nuclear-materials regulations at least as strict as NRC regulations.