The 123 GO Act would direct the Secretary of State to lead diplomacy and negotiations for nuclear cooperation agreements under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act. It requires not fewer than 20 new 123 agreements to be entered before January 3, 2029 and calls for renegotiation or renewal of agreements that are set to expire within a decade of enactment.
In addition, the bill creates a program to boost the global competitiveness of U.S. nuclear suppliers, investors, and lenders by streamlining intergovernmental discussions, advancing adherence to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSA), and identifying and relieving regulatory burdens on exports. These moves aim to broaden U.S. nuclear participation abroad while safeguarding national interests.
At a Glance
What It Does
Directs the State Department to lead negotiations for 123 agreements, targets at least 20 new agreements by early 2029, and requires renewal or renegotiation of expiring pacts within ten years of enactment. It also establishes a cross-agency program to improve global competitiveness for U.S. nuclear suppliers, investors, and lenders.
Who It Affects
States and foreign governments engaging in 123 agreements, U.S. nuclear exporters, investors, lenders, and the agencies implementing export controls and energy diplomacy (State, Commerce, Energy, OSTP).
Why It Matters
Sets a concrete expansion path for U.S. nuclear cooperation abroad, aligns export policy with international liability standards, and aims to anchor U.S. market share in a high-stakes global sector.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill starts by naming the act and establishing its policy direction. It moves to require the Secretary of State to take the lead on nuclear cooperation deals under Section 123, with a clear production target of at least 20 new agreements by early 2029 and a mandate to renegotiate or renew agreements that will lapse within the next decade.
This signals a more assertive U.S. diplomacy around civilian nuclear cooperation and the fuel cycle.
Parallel to the diplomacy push, the legislation creates a cross-cutting program to boost U.S. competitiveness in the global nuclear market. It enlists the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Energy to coordinate with other policy offices to accelerate intergovernmental discussions with potential exporting countries, promote broad adherence to the CSA, and identify statutory or regulatory barriers to exporting nuclear technology, fuel, equipment, and services.
The aim is to reduce frictions in exports while maintaining appropriate safeguards.Taken together, the bill links diplomatic activity with domestic policy tools to incentivize foreign partners to adopt U.S.-based nuclear solutions. It emphasizes process improvements, liability alignment through the CSA, and a proactive approach to export licensing and project pipelines.
For compliance and industry leaders, the act signals both expanded opportunity and the need to monitor evolving regulatory obligations and international commitments.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill requires the Secretary of State to lead negotiations for 123 agreements.
At least 20 new 123 agreements must be entered before January 3, 2029.
Expiring 123 agreements must be renegotiated or renewed within 10 years of enactment.
A cross-agency program will pursue faster intergovernmental negotiations and explore liability standards under the CSA.
The program seeks to identify and relieve regulatory burdens on exports of nuclear technology, fuel, equipment, and services.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Short title
This section designates the act as the “123 GO Act.” It makes clear the official citation and provides the legal anchor for the remainder of the bill.
Sense of Congress
This section expresses Congressional sentiment that the referenced Executive Order on deploying advanced nuclear reactor technologies aligns with U.S. interests, framing the policy environment for the bill’s diplomacy and export objectives.
Negotiation of 123 agreements
The Secretary of State is tasked with leading negotiations for 123 agreements and with pursuing no fewer than 20 new agreements before January 3, 2029. It also requires renegotiation or renewal of agreements that expire within ten years after enactment, ensuring a forward-looking expansion of the U.S. nuclear cooperation framework.
Program to Enhance Global Competitiveness
This section creates a cross-departmental program, coordinated by the Secretary of State and in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Energy, to bolster global competitiveness for U.S. nuclear suppliers, investors, and lenders. It includes expediting intergovernmental negotiations, promoting CSA adherence, identifying and addressing export barriers, and encouraging favorable foreign decisions regarding U.S. nuclear technology and services.
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Explore Foreign Affairs in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- U.S. nuclear equipment manufacturers and service providers gaining more export opportunities and longer, steadier project pipelines.
- U.S. utilities and investors with exposure to international nuclear projects.
- Foreign governments that partner with the United States on nuclear energy, benefiting from predictable agreements and robust liability frameworks.
- U.S. agencies (State, Commerce, Energy) and policy advisors who coordinate export diplomacy and policy alignment.
Who Bears the Cost
- Government agencies will need funding and staffing to manage expanded negotiations and regulatory reviews.
- U.S. export control and compliance programs may experience increased upfront workload to verify CSA commitments and ensure safeguards.
- Nuclear exporters could incur costs associated with adapting to new or expanded regulatory requirements and compliance obligations.
- Smaller exporters could face relative burdens in meeting expanded due diligence or reporting expectations, even as the program aims to relieve burdens overall.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is balancing aggressive expansion of U.S. nuclear cooperation abroad with the need to uphold stringent safety, liability, and nonproliferation standards, all while ensuring that new processes remain fiscally and operationally sustainable for both government and industry.
The bill ties diplomacy to domestic export policy, which creates a tension between accelerating international agreements and maintaining rigorous safeguards. While expanding the 123 framework can broaden U.S. nuclear participation, it also concentrates risk in new bilateral arrangements that require robust verification, export controls, and liability protections.
The CSA emphasis helps standardize compensation for nuclear damage but raises questions about implementation across different jurisdictions and whether the Annex will be universally accepted. Additionally, streamlining negotiations and reducing regulatory burdens could compress timelines for compliance and oversight, potentially increasing short-term administrative pressures on agencies and licensees.
The bill does not specify funding levels or oversight mechanisms for the new program, leaving open questions about execution risk and fiscal impact.
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