United States of America Updates Nuclear Component Testing Standards

United States of America has issued updated regulatory guidance on the acceptability of ASME OM-2 code for component testing at nuclear facilities, reinforcing safety and compliance requirements in nuclear facility operations

USA – NUCLEAR COMPONENTS

US Formalizes ASME OM-2 Code for Nuclear Testing

Nuclear facilities must follow updated testing standards and notification rules.

What changed

ASME OM-2 code now formally acceptable for component testing at nuclear facilities.

Notification classification corrected to ‘Other’ instead of Article 2.9.2.

Safety protocols reinforced for test conditions and procedures at nuclear facilities.

Who it affects

Nuclear facility operators must implement ASME OM-2 code for component testing.

Testing laboratories must follow updated procedures for nuclear component testing.

United States — nuclear component testing standards update

Regulation Analysis: Updated U.S. Guidance on ASME OM-2 Code for Nuclear Facility Component Testing

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.220, Revision 0, which endorses the ASME OM-2 Code (2024 Edition), "Component Testing Requirements at Nuclear Facilities," as an acceptable method for developing and implementing Inservice Testing (IST) Programs at nuclear facilities. This guidance reinforces safety and compliance requirements by clarifying the NRC’s regulatory position on component testing procedures¹.

Key Regulatory Provisions

1. Endorsement of ASME OM-2 (2024 Edition)

The NRC formally endorses the ASME OM-2 Code (2024 Edition) as an acceptable framework for component testing at nuclear facilities, with specific regulatory clarifications¹.
Licensees may use this code to comply with NRC regulations governing IST programs, provided they adhere to the NRC’s additional regulatory positions outlined in RG 1.220¹.

2. Scope of Application

Applies to all types of nuclear facilities, including commercial nuclear power plants and other licensed nuclear operations¹.
Covers component testing requirements, including test conditions, procedures, and operational readiness assessments.
Relevant ICS codes:
19.020 (Test conditions and procedures in general)
27.120.20 (Nuclear power plants. Safety).

3. Effective Date and Compliance Timeline

Effective Date: 4 June 2026 (date of Federal Register publication)¹.
Post-Promulgation Comment Period: 30 days, ending 6 July 2026¹.
Comments received after this date may be considered but are not guaranteed review.
WTO Members and stakeholders must submit comments to the USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point by 4:00 PM Eastern Time on 6 July 2026.

4. Regulatory Objectives

Primary Goals:
Protection of human health and safety.
Protection of the environment.
Ensuring quality requirements for nuclear facility operations.

5. Administrative Corrections

A corrigendum was issued on 16 July 2026 to correct a clerical error in the original notification basis, reclassifying it under "Other" rather than Article 2.9.2 of the WTO TBT Agreement².
This correction does not affect the substance of the regulation or its effective date².

Compliance Requirements Table

Regulation	Key Requirement	Deadline/Threshold	Authority
RG 1.220, Revision 0	Endorses ASME OM-2 (2024 Edition) for IST programs, with NRC regulatory clarifications¹.	Effective 4 June 2026¹.	NRC¹.
Federal Register Notice	Direct final guide published; post-promulgation comments due by 6 July 2026.	Comments due 6 July 2026.	NRC.
WTO TBT Notification	Stakeholders must submit comments to USA TBT Enquiry Point by 4 PM ET, 6 July 2026.	6 July 2026.	USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point.

Access to Regulatory Documents

Regulatory Guide 1.220: Available via¹(https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/TBT/USA/26_03001_00_e.pdf)¹.
Federal Register Notice (91 FR 33770): Published on 4 June 2026.
- ¹(https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-04/html/2026-11191.htm)
- ¹(https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-04/pdf/2026-11191.pdf)
Docket NRC-2025-0677: Public comments and primary documents accessible via¹(https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NRC-2025-0677/document).

Summary Answer

The U.S. NRC has issued Regulatory Guide 1.220, Revision 0, endorsing the ASME OM-2 Code (2024 Edition) for component testing at nuclear facilities, effective 4 June 2026¹. This guidance provides an NRC-acceptable method for developing Inservice Testing (IST) Programs, with a 30-day post-promulgation comment period ending 6 July 2026¹. The regulation aims to enhance safety, environmental protection, and operational quality, while a clerical correction to the WTO notification basis was issued on 16 July 2026 without impacting substantive requirements². Stakeholders must submit comments to the USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point by the deadline. All relevant documents are publicly accessible via the Federal Register and Regulations.gov.

Sources

↩ Regulatory Guide: Acceptability of ASME OM-2 Code, Component Testing Requirements at Nuclear Facilities https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN26/USA2288.docx
↩ G/TBT/N/USA/2288 https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN26/USA2288C2.docx