What’s Happening?
The State of Washington Department of Health (department) will soon embark on a process to establish a regulatory framework for the safe development and operation of fusion technologies and establish fusion-specific license and registration fees.
Why?
Fusion technology is a rapidly developing field heading toward providing a clean, reliable, and nearly limitless source of power for future generations. Currently, fusion machines must be licensed or registered under three separate programs: radioactive materials byproducts, radioactive air emissions, and particle accelerators. Creating a single fusion machines framework would make the requirements clearer and more predictable for fusion companies.
Rulemaking Timeline
The department is planning to use its standard rulemaking process, initially anticipating the following schedule.
| Milestone | Description | Anticipated Date |
|---|---|---|
| File CR-101 | Filing of the Preproposal Statement of Inquiry form (CR-101) will set the scope of potential rulemaking and begin the process of soliciting comments from the public | November 2026 |
| First RAC meeting | The Rule Advisory Committee (RAC) will begin to meet monthly to help provide technical guidance to develop a rule proposal | January 2027 |
| Informal comments | The department will solicit comments from interested parties, other agencies, the public, and tribes early in the process | Spring 2027 |
| File CR-102 | Filing of the Proposed Rule Making form (CR‑102) will formally announce the department’s proposed rule. It also starts the formal comment period | August 2027 |
| Hold public hearing | After the public has had time to consider the proposed rule, the department will conduct an official public hearing | September 2027 |
| File CR-103P | After all public comments are considered, the Rule-Making Order form (CR-103P) will officially adopt the permanent rule into the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) | October 2027 |
| Effective date | The date the rule begins to apply in the state of Washington | December 2027 |
Stay Informed
Contact
For more information, please contact:
- On technical issues, Richard Montemarano at richard.montemarano@doh.wa.gov
- On rulemaking, Brian A. Sayrs at brian.sayrs@doh.wa.gov