Nuclear Infrastructure Security Act of 2003

The Nuclear Infrastructure Security Act of 2003 was designed to strengthen the physical and operational security of the nation’s nuclear power plants and radioactive materials. It would have required the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to upgrade security standards to protect against modern threats, including coordinated terrorist attacks and sabotage.

For everyday citizens, the bill’s primary impact would be enhanced public safety through more rigorous emergency planning and frequent security drills at local nuclear facilities. It also aimed to protect communities by requiring stricter background checks and fingerprinting for all nuclear facility employees, while increasing federal oversight of how radioactive waste is stored and transported. Although the bill was introduced and moved to the Senate calendar in 2003, it did not become law in this specific form, though many of its security concepts were later addressed in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.