Us Code § 2142 - Domestic medical isotope production

Full text of Us Code United States Code § 2142 — Domestic medical isotope production, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 2142. Domestic medical isotope production

(a) The Commission may issue a license, or grant an amendment to an existing license, for the use in the United States of highly enriched uranium as a target for medical isotope production in a nuclear reactor, only if, in addition to any other requirement of this chapter—

(1) the Commission determines that—

(A) there is no alternative medical isotope production target that can be used in that reactor; and

(B) the proposed recipient of the medical isotope production target has provided assurances that, whenever an alternative medical isotope production target can be used in that reactor, it will use that alternative in lieu of highly enriched uranium; and


(2) the Secretary of Energy has certified that the United States Government is actively supporting the development of an alternative medical isotope production target that can be used in that reactor.


(b) As used in this section—

(1) the term "alternative medical isotope production target" means a nuclear reactor target which is enriched to less than 20 percent of the isotope U–235;

(2) a target "can be used" in a nuclear research or test reactor if—

(A) the target has been qualified by the Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor Program of the Department of Energy; and

(B) use of the target will permit the large majority of ongoing and planned experiments and medical isotope production to be conducted in the reactor without a large percentage increase in the total cost of operating the reactor;


(3) the term "highly enriched uranium" means uranium enriched to 20 percent or more in the isotope U–235; and

(4) the term "medical isotope" includes molybdenum-99, iodine-131, xenon-133, and other radioactive materials used to produce a radiopharmaceutical for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures or for research and development.

(Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, §112, as added Pub. L. 112–239, div. C, title XXXI, §3176(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2215; Pub. L. 113–66, div. C, title XXXI, §3144, Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 1071.)


Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original "this Act", meaning act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, §1, 68 Stat. 919, known as the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2011 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2013—Pub. L. 113–66 inserted section designation and catchline.

SUBCHAPTER X—INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

About This Section

42 U.S.C. § 2142 is part of Title 42 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

This section may be cited in legal writing as 42 U.S.C. § 2142. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.

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Sources

Source: official Us Code text · Last verified 2026-08-27

Frequently Asked Questions About Us Code § 2142

What does United States Code § 2142 cover?

Section 2142 ("Domestic medical isotope production") is part of the United States Code, the codified statutory law of Us Code. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

How do I cite Us Code § 2142?

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Is this the official text of Us Code law?

No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the Us Code official source linked on this page or consult a licensed Us Code attorney.

How does Us Code § 2142 apply to my situation?

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Sources & Verification

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