The purpose of this part is to state the regulatory requirements for award of attorney fees to eligible individuals and entities in certain administrative proceedings before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in implementation of the Equal Access to Justice Act, 5 U.S.C. 504 (EAJA), which provides for the award of attorney fees and other expenses to parties to “adversary adjudications”, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 504(b)(1)(C). In general, an “adversary adjudication” is an adjudication that is required by statute to be determined on the record after opportunity for hearing before an agency of the United States and in which the position of the agency, or any component of the agency, is presented by an attorney or other representative who enters an appearance and participates in the proceeding. However, some agency adjudications are expressly excluded from coverage by 5 U.S.C. 504 (e.g., an adjudication for the purpose of granting or renewing a license) even though they fall within this general definition, and certain appeals before an agency board of contract appeals and Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act hearings conducted under 31 U.S.C. ch. 38 are expressly covered.

An eligible party may receive an award in an adversary adjudication when the party prevails over the Commission, unless the Commission's position was substantially justified or special circumstances make an award unjust. The regulations in this part describe the parties eligible for awards and the proceedings that are covered. They also explain how to apply for awards, and the procedures and standards that the Commission will use to make them.