NIA submitted a public comment on the Draft Interim Staff Guidance: “NRC Application Pathway for Reactor Designs Previously Authorized by U.S. Department of Energy or Department of War.” NIA supports the Commission’s objective of enabling more efficient licensing pathways by appropriately leveraging prior federal work. If implemented effectively, this pathway could reduce unnecessary duplication, improve regulatory predictability, accelerate deployment timelines, and better align federal demonstration efforts with successful commercial deployment outcomes. As noted in NIA’s recent comments on the related proposed rulemaking, however, efficiency alone is not sufficient. To succeed over the long term, this pathway must also preserve and visibly reinforce the NRC’s independence, credibility, transparency, and predictability.