[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5929 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5929
To improve the Nation's nuclear forensics capability to help deter and
respond to nuclear terrorism.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 30, 2008
Mr. Foster introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science and Technology, and in addition to the Committees
on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and Energy and
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the Nation's nuclear forensics capability to help deter and
respond to nuclear terrorism.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Nuclear Terrorism Deterrence and
Detection Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Combating the threat of a terrorist detonating a
nuclear device on American soil is a critical security
challenge.
(2) Nuclear forensics contributes to the Nation's ability
to deter and respond to nuclear terrorism through technical
analysis of nuclear materials intercepted intact or retrieved
from post-explosion debris.
(3) Nuclear forensics, when combined with law enforcement
and intelligence data, contributes to attribution of the
nuclear material or nuclear device to its source.
(4) The Nation's nuclear forensics capability can be
improved, as identified in a report from the American Physical
Society and American Association for the Advancement of
Science, with regard to the following:
(A) Workforce: The training of skilled personnel
needs to be accelerated. The Nation is understaffed in
nuclear forensics, with just 35 to 50 experts at United
States national laboratories and more than half of them
likely to retire in the next 10 to 15 years.
(B) Equipment: Most of the Nation's field and
laboratory equipment used in nuclear forensics analysis
dates to the Cold War. A program should be undertaken
to develop and manufacture advanced, automated field-
equipment that allows for more rapid and accurate
radiation analysis.
(C) International Databases: Nuclear material can
have a unique signature depending on its source reactor
of fuel facility. A shared and accessible international
database of nuclear samples can help to more quickly
match debris or an intercepted nuclear device with its
original source.
(D) Independent Evaluation Group: Given the
intelligence community's failings in the assessment of
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, there may be
international skepticism regarding any nuclear
forensics investigation the United States might
perform. A group of recognized experts not associated
with the federal investigation would provide
independent validation of the forensics analysis.
(E) Exercises: Nuclear forensics investigations
take time and the results may not be immediately
conclusive. Through realistic drills, senior leadership
can become aware of the strengths and limitations of
the nation's nuclear forensics capability and
appropriately incorporate the capability into decision
making.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NNSA FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR GRADUATE
STUDENTS IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Administrator for Nuclear Security should establish
a fellowship program for graduate students in the field of
nuclear chemistry, which should--
(A) support no fewer than 6 Ph.D.s per year; and
(B) require graduate students to spend two summers
in a national laboratory over the course of the
program; and
(2) the fellowship program should receive funding in an
amount not less than--
(A) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
(B) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
(C) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
(D) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; and
(E) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NNSA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR NUCLEAR
FORENSICS FIELD RADIATION-MEASUREMENT EQUIPMENT.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Administrator for Nuclear Security should carry out
research and development with a targeted goal of improving the
speed and accuracy of nuclear forensics radiation-measurement
equipment; and
(2) the research and development should receive funding in
an amount not less than $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2009 through 2013.
SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORT ON NUCLEAR
FORENSICS CAPABILITIES.
Section 3129(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181; 122 Stat. 585) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (3) by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) any legislative, regulatory, or treaty actions
necessary to facilitate international cooperation in
enhancement of international nuclear-material databases and the
linking of those databases to enable prompt data access.''.
SEC. 6. NUCLEAR FORENSICS ADVISORY PANEL.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of
Energy, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a joint
independent Nuclear Forensics Advisory Panel of recognized experts not
directly associated with the Federal laboratories. The function of the
panel shall be to provide independent validation of any Federal nuclear
forensics analysis.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries referred to in subsection (a)
shall submit a report on the structure and membership of the panel
required by subsection (a). The report shall be submitted to--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Armed
Services, and Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Armed
Services, and Committee on Homeland Security and Government
Affairs of the Senate.
SEC. 7. PRESIDENTIAL REPORT ON INVOLVEMENT OF CABINET-LEVEL LEADERSHIP
IN CERTAIN EXERCISES THAT INCLUDE NUCLEAR FORENSICS
ANALYSIS.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the President shall submit a report on the involvement of Cabinet-level
leadership in planned nuclear terrorism preparedness exercises that
have nuclear forensics analysis as a component of the exercise. The
report shall be submitted to--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Armed
Services, and Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Armed
Services, and Committee on Homeland Security and Government
Affairs of the Senate.
<all>