[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4177 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4177
To implement the recommendations of the final report of the
Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 18, 2024
Mrs. Fischer (for herself, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. King) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To implement the recommendations of the final report of the
Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States,
and for other purposes.
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 ``Restoring American Deterrence Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On October 12, 2023, the Congressional Commission on
the Strategic Posture of the United States (referred to in this
section as the ``Commission'') released a final report entitled
``America's Strategic Posture''.
(2) The report, the consensus product of a 12-person
bipartisan commission led by the Honorable Madelyn Creedon and
former Senator Jon Kyl--
(A) examined the latest intelligence available on
current and projected global strategic threats;
(B) assessed the adequacy of existing United States
strategies, policies, and capabilities for addressing
such threats; and
(C) provided a series of findings and
recommendations, which were subsequently made available
to the President, Congress, and the general public.
(3) The findings of the Commission reflect a rapidly
deteriorating international security situation that is becoming
far more dangerous for the United States and its allies and
partners.
(4) The rapid and unprecedented growth of the nuclear
arsenal of the People's Republic of China and the massive
expansion of the armed forces of the People's Republic of China
across all domains have forever altered the global balance of
power.
(5) The various arms of the People's Liberation Army can no
longer be dismissed as an afterthought, and increasingly
aggressive behavior by the People's Republic of China,
particularly with regard to the United States and its allies
and partners in the Asia-Pacific region, offers little
assurance that the rise of the People's Republic of China will
remain peaceful.
(6) The Government of the Russian Federation owns, and will
likely maintain for the foreseeable future, the largest nuclear
arsenal on Earth.
(7) While the war following the unprovoked invasion of
Ukraine by the Russian Federation has diminished the
conventional armed forces of the Russian Federation, the
Government of the Russian Federation--
(A) continues to expand and diversify the nuclear
arsenal, air and missile defenses, and space, cyber,
biological, and chemical weapons capabilities of the
Russian Federation; and
(B) regularly flaunts such capabilities as to
threaten and intimidate regional neighbors.
(8) Continued efforts by the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea to expand and diversify its nuclear arsenal, long-
range missile systems, and chemical and biological weapons
programs and the clear willingness to leverage such systems and
programs to threaten and intimidate regional neighbors poses a
growing danger to stability in Northeast Asia.
(9) The growth of the intercontinental ballistic missile
forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea presents an
acute danger to the people of the United States, considering
such systems may soon be capable of overwhelming the mainland
missile defenses of the United States.
(10) The long history of aggression and support for global
terrorism by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including through
recent use of Hamas proxies to brutally attack Israeli and
United States citizens, demonstrates that the Islamic Republic
of Iran has no interest in the goals of international stability
and peaceful coexistence.
(11) The Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to a long-
term goal of further developing increasingly destabilizing
missile technologies and acquiring nuclear weapons to dominate
the greater Middle East.
(12) Taken together, such findings reflect a global
security environment very different from any the United States
has ever encountered.
(13) While the United States served as a bulwark against
the Soviet Union, enduring the distant existential threat the
Government of the Soviet Union posed for decades, and defied
the persistent daily threat of terrorism from the earliest days
of the 21st century, the United States has never faced a more
complex set of global threats than are arrayed before it as of
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(14) The United States, in order to maintain its position
in the international order, or quite possibly its very
survival, must recognize this new threat environment, and
urgently take prompt, decisive action to transform its aging
array of defenses, renovate long-neglected industrial
capabilities, rebuild a strong and vibrant workforce, rebuild
allied confidence in the support and leadership of the United
States, and craft a common, unifying vision of purpose for all
United States citizens.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) that the deterrence of strategic attacks, and in
particular nuclear attacks, against the United States and its
allies is the highest defense priority of the United States;
and
(2) to marshal the full weight of statutory and regulatory
measures available to the United States Government to ensure
that the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy are
provided with all necessary authorities and resources required
to ensure the maintenance of a modern, effective strategic
deterrent to meet the emerging suite of unprecedented strategic
threats against the United States.
SEC. 4. ASSESSMENT OF UPDATED FORCE SIZING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff shall submit to the congressional defense
committees a strategy that enables the United States to concurrently--
(1) achieve the nuclear employment objectives of the
President against any adversary that conducts a strategic
attack against the United States or its allies;
(2) hold at risk all classes of adversary targets described
in the nuclear weapons employment guidance issued by the
President as of the date of the enactment of this Act;
(3) defeat the conventional military aggression of a major
adversary in one geographic theater, while simultaneously
providing a credible conventional deterrent to opportunistic
aggression in a separate geographic theater;
(4) provide a credible defense against limited long-range
strikes against the United States homeland;
(5) satisfy requirements of the combatant commands for the
presence of surface and subsurface Navy forces at rates of 80
percent or more; and
(6) maintain the capacity to regularly place a portion of
the strategic bomber fleets of the United States on alert while
not substantially undermining the requirements of the combatant
commands for the presence of conventional bombers.
(b) Elements.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall
include the following elements:
(1) An assessment of the amount of nuclear and conventional
forces necessary to implement such strategy.
(2) A description of the classes of targets necessary to
hold at risk via nuclear forces in order to achieve the
requirements of the United States Strategic Command and the
deterrence and assurance objectives of the United States.
(3) A comparison of the quantity of targets held at risk
via the nuclear forces of the United States at the end of each
presidential administration since January 21, 1977, and targets
that are held at risk as of the date of the submission of the
strategy.
(4) A projection of the planned growth in potential target
quantities due to the expansion and diversification of likely
adversary capabilities during the period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act and ending on the date that is 10
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(5) A comparison of the quantities and various employment
options available in the nuclear weapons stockpile of the
United States at the end of each presidential administration
since January 21, 1977, and options that are available as of
the date of the submission of the strategy.
(6) A projection of the planned quantities and employment
options that will be available in the nuclear weapons stockpile
of the United States during the period beginning on the date of
the enactment of this Act and ending on the date that is 10
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(7) An assessment of the impact of delays in ongoing or
planned modernization programs of nuclear, missile defense,
space, or conventional military forces of the United States.
(8) Any other factors the Secretary or the Chairman believe
pertinent for assessing force sizing requirements.
(c) Form.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall be
submitted in classified form and shall include a unclassified summary.
(d) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this section, the
term ``congressional defense committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 5. MODERNIZATION OF THE INTEGRATED TACTICAL WARNING AND ATTACK
ASSESSMENT SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, in coordination with the Commander of United
States Strategic Command, the Commander of the United States Space
Command, and the Commander of the United States Northern Command, shall
develop a plan for the comprehensive modernization of the United States
integrated tactical warning and attack assessment system (referred to
in this section as the ``system'').
(b) Inclusion of Nontraditional Sensors.--The plan required by
subsection (a) shall include a strategy for incorporating information
from nontraditional data streams of the system, including sensor
architectures designed for missile defenses, to provide Federal
Government officials with greater fidelity and improved threat
characterization, while minimizing potential degradation in system
reliability and integrity.
(c) Report Required.--Not later than 30 days after concluding the
development of the plan required by subsection (a), the Secretary of
Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees--
(1) a report summarizing the plan; and
(2) initial acquisition cost estimates and timelines
necessary to implement the plan.
(d) Format.--The report required by subsection (c) shall be
submitted in a classified form and shall include an unclassified
summary.
(e) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this section, the
term ``congressional defense committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with
the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary
of Labor, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Commerce,
shall develop a strategy for collaborating with State and local
governments to promote the development of a skilled manufacturing and
high-demand vocational trade workforce to support the expansion of the
national technology and industrial base and nuclear security
enterprise.
(b) Reports Required.--
(1) Strategy implementation.--Not later than 120 days after
the development of the strategy described in subsection (a),
the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report that
outlines the strategy and includes a detailed description of
measures to implement the strategy, including planned schedules
and progress milestones.
(2) Annual implementation progress.--Not later than
November 15, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of
Defense shall submit to Congress a report on any progress made
in implementing the strategy.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) National technology and industrial base.--The term
``national technology and industrial base'' has the meaning
given that term in section 4801 of title 10, United States
Code.
(2) Nuclear security enterprise.--The term ``nuclear
security enterprise'' has the meaning given that term in
section 4002 of the Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2501).
SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL INTEGRATED AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE
ARCHITECTURE FOR THE UNITED STATES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, in consultation with the Commander of the United
States Northern Command, the Commander of the United States Space
Command, and the Director of the Missile Defense Agency, shall develop
a comprehensive integrated architecture for defending the United States
against all forms of missile attacks.
(b) Elements.--The architecture required by subsection (a) shall
include the following elements:
(1) An identification of terrestrial, maritime, orbital,
and cyber technological capabilities to address nonballistic
and ballistic missile threats to the United States, including
the sensor, command and control, and missile defeat systems
that the Secretary and Chairman determine are required for the
operation of an integrated missile defense architecture for the
United States during the 10-year period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act.
(2) The technological requirements to ensure compatibility
with the integrated air and missile defense capabilities of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization and integrated air and
missile defense architecture in the Indo-Pacific region that is
under development as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
(3) An integrated, time-phased development, procurement,
and deployment schedule for the systems comprising the
specified architecture.
(4) The development and integration risk of the proposed
architecture.
(5) The personnel required to operate the proposed
architecture, including opportunities for reducing the
anticipated personnel requirements through increased use of
automation.
(6) Any other matters the Secretary of Defense and the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider appropriate.
(c) Designation of Official Responsible for Architecture
Development.--
(1) Designation.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
designate a senior official of the Department of Defense who
shall be responsible for the architecture specified in
subsection (a).
(2) Duties.--The duties of the official designated under
paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) Designing the defensive architecture for the
United States.
(B) Overseeing development of an integrated missile
defense acquisition strategy for the United States.
(C) Ensuring the budgets of each military
department and defense agency are appropriate for the
architecture required by subsection (a).
(D) Siting the integrated missile defense systems
comprising the architecture described in subsection
(a).
(E) Overseeing long-term acquisition and
sustainment of the architecture.
(F) Such other duties as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(3) Report required.--Concurrent with the submission of
each budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31,
United States Code, until the end of the period specified in
paragraph (4), the official designated under paragraph (1)
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report
on the actions taken by the official to carry out the duties
set forth under paragraph (2).
(4) Termination.--The authority of this subsection shall
terminate on the date that is 3 years after the date on which
the official designated under paragraph (1) determines that the
integrated missile defense architecture described in subsection
(a) has achieved initial operational capability.
(d) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this section, the
term ``congressional defense committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 8. PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE DEPLOYMENT OF ADDITIONAL
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES.
(a) Activation Plan.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination
with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and
the Commander of United States Strategic Command, shall develop a plan
for deploying not more than 50 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic
missiles in addition to the 400 Minuteman III intercontinental
ballistic missiles currently deployed, during the planned life of the
Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system.
(b) Alternative Acquisition Strategy.--In developing the plan
required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall direct the Program
Executive Officer for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles to prepare an
alternative acquisition strategy for the Sentinel intercontinental
ballistic missile weapon system that accommodates the deployment of not
more than 50 additional Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles,
which shall include--
(1) a plan to procure booster sets that will accommodate
the deployment of at least 450 Sentinel intercontinental
ballistic missiles during the planned life of the system and
satisfy anticipated testing requirements;
(2) a plan develop and to procure reentry vehicles
necessary to support the planned life of the weapon system and
satisfy anticipated testing requirements;
(3) a plan develop and to procure countermeasures to
support the deployment of at least 450 Sentinel
intercontinental ballistic missiles during the planned life of
the system and satisfy anticipated testing requirements;
(4) a plan to procure ground support and maintenance
equipment to support the deployment of at least 450 Sentinel
intercontinental ballistic missiles during the planned life of
the system; and
(5) recommendations for adjustments to the baseline
acquisition strategy as the Program Executive Officer
determines necessary to achieve the plan required by subsection
(a).
(c) Report Required.--Not later than 30 days after the development
of the plan required by subsection (a), the Secretary of the Air Force
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report
containing a summary of the plan and initial acquisition cost estimates
and timelines for executing the plan.
(d) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this section, the
term ``congressional defense committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 9. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MANAGEMENT AND PROCESS
IMPROVEMENTS.
(a) Establishment of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear
Deterrence Policy and Programs.--Section 138(b)(4) of title 10, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``(4) One of the Assistant Secretaries is the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Deterrence Policy and
Programs. The principal duty of the Assistant Secretary shall
be the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and
resources) of nuclear deterrence activities of the Department
of Defense. The Assistant Secretary is the principal civilian
adviser to the Secretary of Defense on nuclear deterrence
policies, operations, and associated programs within the senior
management of the Department of Defense.
``(A) Subject to the authority, direction, and
control of the Secretary of Defense, the Assistant
Secretary shall--
``(i) advise and assist the Secretary of
Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment, and the Under
Secretary of Defense for Policy in the
development and supervision of policy, program
planning and execution, and allocation and use
of resources for the activities of the
Department of Defense on all matters relating
to the sustainment, operation, and
modernization of United States nuclear forces;
``(ii) communicate views on issues within
the responsibility of the Assistant Secretary
directly to the Secretary of Defense and the
Deputy Secretary of Defense without obtaining
the approval or concurrence of any other
official within the Department of Defense;
``(iii) serve as the Staff Director of the
Nuclear Weapons Council established by section
179 of this title;
``(iv) serve as the principal interface
with the Department of Energy on issues
relating to nuclear fuels, and in coordination
with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Energy, Installations, and Environment, advise
the Secretary of Defense on nuclear energy
matters; and
``(v) advise the Secretary of Defense, the
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and
Sustainment, and the Under Secretary of Defense
for Policy on all matters relating to defending
against chemical, biological, and other weapons
of mass destruction.
``(B) In the discharge of the responsibilities
specified in subparagraph (A), the Assistant Secretary
is immediately subordinate to the Secretary of Defense.
Unless otherwise directed by the President or statute,
no officer other than those specified in subparagraph
(A)(i) may intervene to exercise authority, direction,
or control over the Assistant Secretary in the
discharge of such responsibilities.''.
(b) Modification of Duties for Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment.--Section 133b of title 10, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (5)--
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon; and
(B) by adding after subparagraph (C), the
following:
``(D) chairman of the Nuclear Weapons Council
established by section 179 of this title; and
``(E) co-chairman of the Council on Oversight of
the National Leadership Command, Control, and
Communications System established by section 171a of
this title;''; and
(2) by amending paragraph (6) to read as follows:
``(6) overseeing--
``(A) the sustainment and modernization of United
States nuclear forces, including the nuclear command,
control, and communications system; and
``(B) military department and Defense Agency
programs to develop capabilities to counter weapons of
mass destruction;''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 179 of title 10, United States
Code, is amended by striking ``Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological
Defense Programs'' each place it appears and inserting ``Nuclear
Deterrence Policy and Programs''.
SEC. 10. NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MANAGEMENT AND
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
(a) Modifications to National Nuclear Security Administration
Act.--The National Nuclear Security Administration Act (50 U.S.C. 2401
et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 3211--
(A) by amending subsection (b)(2) to read as
follows:
``(2) To support the deterrence of strategic attacks
against the United States by maintaining and enhancing the
performance, reliability, security, and safety of the United
States nuclear weapons stockpile, including the ability to
design, produce, and test nuclear weapons as necessary in order
to meet national security requirements.''; and
(B) in subsection (c), by redesignating paragraphs
(1) through (3) as paragraphs (2) through (4),
respectively, and inserting the following new paragraph
(1):
``(1) fulfilling, to the maximum extent possible, the
requirements for nuclear weapons of the Department of
Defense;'';
(2) in section 3213(a)(2), by inserting ``infrastructure
construction and maintenance,'' after ``nuclear weapons,'';
(3) by amending section 3214(b)(1) to read as follows:
``(1) Supporting the deterrence of strategic attacks by
maintaining and enhancing the performance, reliability, and
security of the United States nuclear weapons stockpile,
including the ability to design, produce, and test as necessary
in order to meet national security requirements.''; and
(4) in section 3264, by striking ``for the use'' and
inserting ``for the cost-reimbursable use''.
(b) Modifications to Nonproliferation and National Security
Scholarship and Fellowship Programs.--Section 3113 of the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (50 U.S.C.
2444) is amended--
(1) by striking ``Department of Energy'' each place it
appears and inserting ``National Nuclear Security
Administration''; and
(2) by striking ``of the Department'' each place it appears
and inserting ``of the Administration'';
(c) Modifications to Certain Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Matters.--
The Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 4201(b)--
(A) by striking paragraph (5);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as
paragraphs (2) through (5), respectively;
(C) by inserting after the matter preceding
paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following new
paragraph (1):
``(1) An increased level of effort for the construction of
new facilities and the modernization of existing facilities
with production and manufacturing capabilities that are
necessary to support the deterrence of strategic attacks
against the United States by maintaining and enhancing the
performance, reliability, and security of the United States
nuclear weapons stockpile, including--
``(A) the nuclear weapons production facilities;
and
``(B) production and manufacturing capabilities
resident in the national security laboratories.'';
(D) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by
striking ``An increased level of effort'' and inserting
``Support'';
(E) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by
striking ``An increased level of effort'' and inserting
``Support''; and
(F) by amending paragraph (4), as so redesignated,
to read as follows:
``(4) Support for the modernization of facilities and
projects that contribute to the experimental capabilities of
the United States that support the sustainment and
modernization of the United States nuclear weapons stockpile
and the capabilities required to assess nuclear weapons
effects.'';
(2) in section 4204--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
(I) by inserting ``, modernization,
and replacement, as required,'' after
``effective management''; and
(II) by striking ``, including the
extension of the effective life of such
weapons'';
(ii) in paragraph (1), by striking
``increase the reliability, safety, and
security'' and inserting ``enhance the
performance and reliability'';
(iii) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4),
and (5) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (6),
respectively;
(iv) by inserting after paragraph (2) the
following new paragraph (3):
``(3) To maintain the safety and security of the nuclear
weapons stockpile.''; and
(v) by amending paragraph (4), as so
redesignated, to read as follows:
``(4) To optimize the future size of the nuclear weapons
stockpile.''; and
(B) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (1)--
(I) by striking ``made to achieve''
and inserting ``consistent with''; and
(II) by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(ii) by redesignating paragraph (2) as
paragraph (3);
(iii) by inserting after paragraph (1) the
following new paragraph (2):
``(2) any changes made to the stockpile consistent with the
objectives identified in subsection (a) are carried out in a
cost effective manner; and''; and
(iv) in paragraph (3)--
(I) by amending subparagraph (A) to
read as follows:
``(A) are well understood and certifiable without
the need to resume underground nuclear weapons
testing''; and
(II) by adding at the end the
following new subparagraph:
``(C) develop future generations of design,
certification, and production expertise in the nuclear
security enterprise to support the fulfillment of
mission requirements of the future stockpile.'';
(3) in section 4209(a)(1), in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A), by striking ``phase 1 or phase 6.1'' and
inserting ``phase 2 or phase 6.2'';
(4) in section 4212--
(A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking, ``as
specified in the most recent Nuclear Posture Review'';
(B) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and
high explosives manufacturing'' after ``weapons
assembly'';
(ii) in paragraph (3), by striking
``fissile materials components processing and
fabrication'' and inserting ``processing'';
(iii) by redesignating paragraph (4) as
paragraph (5); and
(iv) by inserting after paragraph (3), the
following new paragraph (4):
``(4) The fissile material component processing and
fabrication capabilities of the Savannah River Plutonium
Processing Facility and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.'';
and
(C) by striking subsection (c);
(5) by striking section 4216;
(6) in section 4405--
(A) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
``(a) Accelerated Cleanup.--The Secretary of Energy shall
accelerate the schedule for defense environmental cleanup activities
and projects for a site at a Department of Energy defense nuclear
facility if the Secretary determines that such an accelerated schedule
will accelerate the recapitalization, modernization, or replacement of
National Nuclear Security Administration facilities supporting the
nuclear weapons stockpile, achieve meaningful, long-term cost savings
to the Federal Government, or could substantially accelerate the
release of land for local reuse without undermining national security
objectives.''; and
(B) in subsection (b)--
(i) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through
(4) as paragraphs (2) through (5),
respectively; and
(ii) by inserting after the matter
preceding paragraph (2), as so redesignated,
the following new paragraph (1):
``(1) The extent to which accelerated cleanup schedules can
contribute to a more rapid modernization of National Nuclear
Security Administration facilities.''; and
(7) in section 4713--
(A) in the heading of subsection (a)(1), by
inserting ``and new nuclear weapon program'' after
``extension''; and
(B) by inserting ``or new nuclear weapon program''
after ``stockpile life extension'' each place it
appears.
SEC. 11. MATTERS RELATING TO THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT.
The Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.) is
amended--
(1) in section 301--
(A) in subsection(a)(3)(A)(i), by striking ``, in
advance,''; and
(B) in subsection (d)(1)(A), by striking
``$50,000,000'' and inserting ``$150,000,000''; and
(2) in section 304(e), by striking ``$750,000,000'' each
place it appears and inserting ``$1,500,000,000''.
SEC. 12. RESTORATION OF A DOMESTIC URANIUM ENRICHMENT CAPABILITY.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the Sense of Congress that--
(1) the inability of the United States to domestically
produce unencumbered enriched uranium undermines the national
security of the United States and represents an unnecessary
hurdle on the path to energy independence of the United States;
(2) existing programs within the Department of Energy to
explore various enrichment technologies are not advancing on a
pace to rectify such inability with any apparent urgency; and
(3) without clear statutory guidance to the contrary,
bureaucratic inertia will prevail and continue to drag out the
to domestically produce unencumbered enriched uranium for
another decade or longer with little demonstrable progress
toward restoring a scalable domestic uranium enrichment
capability.
(b) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall conduct an
assessment to evaluate at least 2, but not more than 4, geographically
disparate possible locations in the United States that would be best
suited to host a modular, scalable facility for the domestic enrichment
of unencumbered uranium, including highly-enriched uranium suitable for
defense applications.
(c) Environmental Documentation.--Once a location has been selected
pursuant to subsection (d)(2), the Secretary shall issue a notice of
intent to prepare an environmental document in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
(d) Report Required.--Not later than 150 days after commencing the
assessment required by subsection (b), the Secretary of Energy shall
submit to the congressional defense committees a report outlining the
results of such assessment, including--
(1) an initial cost assessment for the construction at
least one facility; and
(2) a statement declaring a preferred location or locations
from among the locations evaluated pursuant to subsection (b).
(e) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this section, the
term ``congressional defense committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
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