The government is planning a bill designed to punish private-sector individuals who leak sensitive information on nuclear facilities, holding them to the same standard as government workers, according to sources.

The measure is part of a bill to revise the reactor management law to prevent attacks on nuclear facilities, the government sources said.

The government plans to decide on the bill in February and submit it to the Diet during the current legislative session in the hope that the revisions will take effect in January 2006.