Fees Transformation Accomplishments

Create Web-based training slides for an annual review of how to charge time to billable projects that would be included in the project manager training materials.

• Internal process implemented

[Encl 3 #4, 8]

Publically communicate data on the cost of various licensing actions to the licensees based on historical expenses for similar actions.

• Cost Estimates for Decommissioning Licensing Actions
• Cost Projections for Uranium Recovery Licensing Actions
• Fuel Facility Regulatory Action Cost Estimates
• New Reactors Business Line Fee Estimates
• Resource estimates for common licensing and oversight activities in Storage and Transportation
• Operating Reactors Business Line Fee Estimates

Explain what international activities are subject to fee relief.

• Explanation provided at the end of the Table, Mission Direct Budgeted Resources Allocated to International Activities Fee-Relief Category

Publish a social media post in response to stakeholder comments received as a result of the Request for Information published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2016.

• Posted on Facebook and twitter on July 10, 2017

Develop a process by which the OCFO would decide resource level earlier in the fee process to develop the proposed fee rule.

• Internal process implemented

Developing a 10 CFR Part 170 fee estimates report containing information about docket, region, and office to assist the lead point-of-contact for each Fee Class in program offices in asking the right people for their workload estimates. The report will include financial expenses that were charged to the Fee Class.

• Internal process implemented

To facilitate publishing the FY 2017 proposed and final fee rule earlier, the staff will modify the calculation of 10 CFR Part 170 estimates. This will be accomplished by relying more on prior year billing data for calculating the estimates since the current year billing data would not be available early enough for this calculation.

• Internal process implemented

Include a section discussing the new fee class for small modular reactors.

• See 82 FR 8703

Enhance the notification process to staff to heighten awareness of the importance of validating their fee-billable charges in the time and labor system.

• Internal process implemented

Review the 2015 Fee Rule, which revised the method of charging overhead time for project managers and resident inspectors and clarify it.

• See page 29633 of the Federal Register Notice.

Identify budgeted activities being allocated to annual fees or user fees either in the CBJ or work papers.

• See Pages 31-32- Fees Collected for Prior Year.

• Also see Appendix C of CBJ.

Any drivers that impact an NRC business line budget should be shown and how each driver impacts annual fees assessed for licensees within that business line should also be explained.

• See Section 'Changes from FY 2018 annualized continuing resolution' for each business line for statement on which product line resources impact fees.

The NRC should periodically validate the budgeting process by comparing "budgeted" with "as spent" amounts. This would enable stakeholders to determine whether the NRC is budgeting and expending funds appropriately and with maximum efficiency.

• Additional data on the FY 2016 actual $ and FTE is included in the CBJ for comparison purposes.

Revise interim allocation of budgeted training, travel, and support costs across business lines process.

• Budgetary resource tables included in each chapter of the CBJ do not include the interim allocation of budgeted training, travel, and support costs.

Direct change time to support functions including hose for Office of the General Counsel, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, Branch chiefs, licensing assistants, and administrative assistants when working on fee-billable activities to licensees.

• Closed with no additional change based on cost/benefit analysis.

Include data on fees collected for the previous FY.

• See Pages 31-32- Fees Collected for Prior Year.

Modify the inspection reports to include information on progress of work performed.

• Closed due to implementation of other transparency enhancing actions.  Also see FY 2017 #s 4, and 8.

Streamline calculations of fees for small materials users, fuel facilities, and uranium recovery licensees.

• Updated fee calculation methodology for small materials users, and uranium recovery licensees.

Redesign system so that individual cost activity codes numbers include running cost totals until the code is closed.  Code descriptions should be clarified.

• Closed due to implementation of other transparency enhancing actions.  Also see FY 2017 #s 4, and 8.

Project Manager to provide details of contract costs listed on the invoice, on request.

• Policy, guidance and procedures were developed and provided to the NRC staff regarding the disclosure of contractor costs on the 10 CFR Part 170 invoices.  Beginning in January, standard language was incorporated into invoice boilerplate to instruct licensees on requesting additional information related to contract charges on the invoice.

Do not allow more than one site per license.

• Closed with no additional change based on cost/benefit analysis.

Bill vendors for inspection hours.

• Closed with no additional change based on cost/benefit analysis.

Define a new, more focused class of licensees that should be assessed the annual fee for new reactor costs.

• Closed with no additional change but will revisit if new applications surge.

Develop a strategy for charging fees for white papers.

• Internal process implemented.

Charge annual fees to entities that hold a combined license or construction permit, regardless of whether plants have actually been constructed and are operating. The annual fee for operating reactors should apply to holders of combined licenses.

• Closed with no additional change but will revisit if new applications surge.

Institute two different hourly rates for flat application fees for applicants, to provide funds for infrastructure work.

• Closed with no additional change but will revisit if new applications surge.

Update rulemaking for the NRC’s small business size standard in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations

(10 CFR) CFR 2.810, “NRC Size Standards,” to align NRC standards with those of the Small Business Administration.

• On February 17, 2022, the NRC published a final rule (87 FR 8943) with an effective date of March 21, 2022. In the final rule, the NRC increased the upper and lower tiers for its receipts-based small entity size standards for small businesses and small not-for-profit organizations. These amendments allow the NRC’s standards to remain consistent with the inflation adjustments made by the Small Business Administration (SBA) size standard for nonmanufacturing concerns. In addition, in accordance with the Small Business Runway Extension Act of 2018, the NRC changed the calculation of annual average receipts for the receipts-based NRC size standard for small businesses that provide a service or for small businesses not engaged in manufacturing from a 3-year averaging period to a 5-year averaging period.

Redesign system to send electronic invoices rather than hard copies and bill monthly rather than quarterly to increase the speed of billing. Distribute invoices via e-mail for faster processing.

• In October 2019, the agency released its eBilling system, which is a public facing, web-based application available for use by the NRC's licensees. The eBilling application provides licensees with immediate delivery of NRC invoices, customizable e-mail notifications, the capability to view and analyze invoice details, and the convenience to access U.S. Department of the Treasury systems to pay invoices. The eBilling application provides additional transparency, increasing applicant and licensee confidence in the assessed fees and charges. The eBilling system is fully implemented.

10/01/2020

10/01/2019

Charge flat fee for license amendments and routine activities for uranium recovery (materials program) licensees.

• With respect to the uranium recovery flat fee pilot initiative, the NRC explored the feasibility of establishing a flat fee structure for routine licensing matters and inspection activities.  The NRC provided a report to Congress on January 9, 2020, describing the results of the pilot initiative and the decision to maintain the current NRC fee billing structure for 10 CFR Part 170 fees for service for uranium recovery licensing matters.  For more information, the report to Congress can be found at ADAMS Accession No. ML20010D684.