On August 15, for the first time, a US court of appeals ruled that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) fitness-for-duty (FFD) and physical protection regulations trump certain employee protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in McNelis v. Pennsylvania Power & Light Company reaffirms the priority placed on NRC requirements designed to protect public health and safety.