HB 4692

This bill prohibits the disposal or storage of high-level radioactive waste in Texas, with a narrow exception for storage at sites of currently or formerly operational nuclear power reactors and nuclear research/test reactors operated by universities. Specifically, it amends the Texas Health and Safety Code to prevent the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from issuing permits for construction or operation of any facility licensed for high-level radioactive waste storage, except at these existing reactor sites. The legislation effectively blocks Texas from becoming a disposal site for the nation's high-level nuclear waste while allowing universities and existing reactor operators to continue managing their own waste on-site. The bill takes effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds vote in both houses of the legislature, or on September 1, 2025, if it doesn't receive the required supermajority.