II

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1117

To establish the policy of the United States for reducing the number of

nuclear warheads in the United States and Russian arsenals, for reducing

the number of nuclear weapons of those two nations that are on high

alert, and for expanding and accelerating programs to prevent diversion

and proliferation of Russian nuclear weapons, fissile materials, and nuclear expertise.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 27, 2001

Ms. LANDRIEU introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To establish the policy of the United States for reducing

the number of nuclear warheads in the United States

and Russian arsenals, for reducing the number of nuclear

weapons of those two nations that are on high alert,

and for expanding and accelerating programs to prevent

diversion and proliferation of Russian nuclear weapons,

fissile materials, and nuclear expertise.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2

•S 1117 IS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the

3 ‘‘Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 2001’’.

4 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of

5 this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Purpose.

Sec. 3. Reduction in number of warheads in arsenals of United States and

Russia.

Sec. 4. Reduction in alert status of nuclear weapons of United States and

Russia.

Sec. 5. Acceleration of programs to prevent diversion of nuclear weapons,

materials, and expertise from Russia.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

7 The purpose of this Act is to decrease substantially

8 the likelihood of the intentional use of nuclear weapons,

9 or their unintentional use as a result of accident, mis10 calculation, unauthorized action, or terrorist activity.

11 SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF WARHEADS IN

12 ARSENALS OF UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA.

13 (a) REPEAL OF PROHIBITION AGAINST REDUC14 TIONS.—Section 1302 of the National Defense Authoriza15 tion Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105–85) is re16 pealed.

17 (b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the

18 United States to reduce the number of nuclear warheads

19 and nuclear weapons delivery systems of the United States

20 and Russia, through bilateral agreements between the

21 United States and Russia, to the lowest possible number

22 consistent with the national security of the United States.
3

•S 1117 IS

1 Any bilateral agreement for purposes of that policy shall

2 provide for transparency, predictability, and verification of

3 the reductions.

4 (c) IMPLEMENTATION OF REDUCTIONS.—In effecting

5 any reduction in the number of nuclear warheads of the

6 United States, it shall be the policy of the United States—

7 (1) that such reductions be intended as perma8 nent reductions in the United States nuclear weap9 ons force, in keeping with the purposes and objec10 tives of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty;

11 (2) that if the President makes unilateral re12 ductions in the United States nuclear weapons force,

13 such reductions should be intended to facilitate bilat14 eral agreement with Russia, and the President

15 should undertake diplomatic efforts to convince Rus16 sia to undertake parallel or commensurate reduc17 tions in its nuclear weapons force; and

18 (3) that the President should (A) offer en19 hanced consultation and cooperation by the United

20 States with Russia in making such reductions, and

21 (B) pursue enhanced transparency and other con22 fidence-building measures to ensure predictable and

23 stable strategic relations between the two nations.

24 (d) POLICY REGARDING WARHEADS REMOVED FROM

25 WEAPON SYSTEMS.—(1) It is the policy of the United
4

•S 1117 IS

1 States to ensure through formal agreements with Russia

2 that any nuclear warhead removed from a weapon system

3 by either nation as part of reductions in the number of

4 warheads or systems pursuant to the policies in this Act—

5 (A) be kept safe and secure;

6 (B) be accounted for; and

7 (C) eventually be destroyed or eliminated in a

8 manner that is verifiable by the other nation.

9 (2) Any such formal agreement shall be entered into

10 either through the agreement referred to in subsection (b)

11 or other agreement between the United States and Russia.

12 SEC. 4. REDUCTION IN ALERT STATUS OF NUCLEAR

13 WEAPONS OF UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA.

14 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the

15 United States to pursue with Russia formal arrangements

16 to remove as many nuclear weapons of those two nations

17 as possible from immediate, launch-ready (or ‘‘high alert’’)

18 status, consistent with United States national security, be19 ginning with those weapons earmarked for downloading,

20 dismantlement, or elimination under the START II treaty.

21 Such arrangements should seek to ensure that any change

22 in the alert status of such weapons of either nation be

23 transparent and verifiable.

24 (b) IMPLEMENTATION OF REDUCTION IN ALERT

25 STATUS.—If the President makes unilateral changes to
5

•S 1117 IS

1 the alert status of weapons in the United States nuclear

2 arsenal, such changes should—

3 (1) be consistent with the national security of

4 the United States; and

5 (2) be pursued as part of a broader United

6 States effort to persuade Russia to enter into ar7 rangements as called for in subsection (a).

8 (c) SECURITY AND VERIFIABILITY.—Any formal ar9 rangement that results from subsection (a) should include

10 measures to ensure that—

11 (1) weapons, including their warheads, that are

12 removed from high alert status are secure and ac13 counted for throughout the process by which they

14 are removed from that status; and

15 (2) such accountability measures are verifiable

16 by both nations.

17 SEC. 5. ACCELERATION OF PROGRAMS TO PREVENT DIVER18 SION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, MATERIALS,

19 AND EXPERTISE FROM RUSSIA.

20 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the

21 United States to work cooperatively with Russia to prevent

22 the diversion of nuclear weapons, materials, and expertise

23 from Russia. In furtherance of that objective, the policy

24 of the United States should include the following:
6

•S 1117 IS

1 (1) With respect to the nuclear weapons arsenal

2 of Russia—

3 (A) ensuring that all the elements of that

4 arsenal, including delivery systems, are identi5 fied and accounted for;

6 (B) identifying with Russia those elements

7 of that arsenal that are most susceptible to pro8 liferation; and

9 (C) ensuring that the weapons in that ar10 senal and their components are secured and

11 safeguarded, placing the highest priority on

12 safeguards for those weapons and components

13 that are identified pursuant to subparagraph

14 (B) as being those most susceptible to prolifera15 tion.

16 (2) With respect to Russia’s stockpile of nuclear

17 weapons materials (other than materials in Russia’s

18 arsenal)—

19 (A) ensuring that all the elements of that

20 stockpile are identified and accounted for;

21 (B) identifying with Russia those elements

22 of that stockpile that are most susceptible to

23 proliferation; and

24 (C) ensuring that the elements of that

25 stockpile are secured and safeguarded, placing
7

•S 1117 IS

1 the highest priority on safeguards for those ele2 ments of that stockpile that are identified pur3 suant to subparagraph (B) as being those most

4 susceptible to proliferation.

5 (3) With respect to nuclear weapons expertise

6 in Russia—

7 (A) identifying and accounting for the ex8 tent of that expertise in cities in Russia re9 ferred to as ‘‘Nuclear Cities’’ and elsewhere in

10 Russia;

11 (B) developing and pursuing programs

12 that make productive use of that expertise in13 side Russia and help prevent the spread of that

14 expertise outside of Russia; and

15 (C) developing and pursuing initiatives to

16 reduce the Russian nuclear production capacity

17 to a size appropriate to its post-Cold War mis18 sion.

19 (4) Rendering permanently unusable for weap20 ons purposes all nuclear materials and weapons sys21 tems that Russia no longer requires to support its

22 arsenal and forces.

23 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry

24 out activities under this Act, cooperative threat reduction

25 programs of the Department of Defense under section
8

•S 1117 IS

1 1501(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for

2 Fiscal Year 1997 (50 U.S.C. 2362 note), and other coop3 erative threat reduction, nonproliferation, and related pro4 grams, there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal

5 year 2002 amounts as follows:

6 (1) For the Department of Defense

7 $600,000,000.

8 (2) For the Department of Energy

9 $1,200,000,000.

10 (3) For the Department of State,

11 $200,000,000.

12 (c) PLAN FOR NONPROLIFERATION PROGRAMS WITH

13 RUSSIA.—

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than April 15,

15 2002, the President shall submit to Congress a

16 plan—

17 (A) to secure and neutralize over the suc18 ceeding eight years all nuclear weapons and

19 weapons-usable nuclear material in Russia that

20 Russia does not retain in its nuclear arsenal;

21 and

22 (B) to prevent the outflow from Russia of

23 scientific expertise that could be used for devel24 oping nuclear weapons or other weapons of

25 mass destruction, including delivery systems.
9

•S 1117 IS

1 (2) CONTENT OF PLAN.—The plan required by

2 subsection (a) shall include the following:

3 (A) Specific goals and measurable objec4 tives for the programs that are designed to

5 carry out the objectives specified in subpara6 graphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).

7 (B) Criteria for success for those programs

8 and a strategy for eventual termination of

9 United States contributions to those programs

10 and assumption of the ongoing support of those

11 programs by Russia.

12 (C) A description of the administrative and

13 organizational changes that the President plans

14 to take, or will have taken, in order to achieve

15 the direction and coordination of those pro16 grams that is necessary for their effectiveness.

17 (3) COORDINATION WITH RUSSIA.—In devel18 oping the plan required by paragraph (1), the Presi19 dent shall coordinate with Russia to ensure that ele20 ments of the plan are practicable.

21 (4) CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS.—In devel22 oping the plan required by paragraph (1), the Presi23 dent shall consult with the majority and minority

24 leadership of the appropriate committees of Con25 gress.
10

•S 1117 IS

1 (d) REPORT ON DEBT-FOR-SECURITY PROGRAM.—

2 (1) STUDY.—The President shall conduct a

3 study of the feasibility of creating a new source of

4 funds for nuclear nonproliferation programs in Rus5 sia through establishment of a program providing

6 for the forgiveness of international debt of Russia in

7 exchange for payments by Russia into an inde8 pendent fund that, under strict conditions, would

9 support the implementation of agreed-upon nuclear

10 nonproliferation programs.

11 (2) CONSULTATION.—In the conduct of the

12 study under paragraph (1), the President shall con13 sult with appropriate representatives of Russia and

14 other nations whose participation in such a program

15 the President determines to be necessary or desir16 able.

17 (3) REPORT ON PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINA18 TIONS.—Not later than April 15, 2002, the Presi19 dent shall submit to Congress a report on the study

20 required by paragraph (1). The report shall include

21 the President’s determinations, together with sup22 porting facts and reasoning, as to each of the fol23 lowing:
11

•S 1117 IS

1 (A) The prospects for the participation of

2 creditor nations in addition to the United

3 States in the program of debt forgiveness.

4 (B) The extent to which payments by Rus5 sia into a fund described in paragraph (1)

6 should be made in Russian currency.

7 (C) The appropriate ratio between the

8 amount of such payments and the amount of

9 debt forgiven.

10 (D) The purposes for which amounts in

11 the fund should be permitted to be expended.

12 (E) The means for assuring that those

13 amounts are expended for those purposes.

14 (F) The feasibility of establishing such a

15 program.

16 (4) LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL.—The report

17 under paragraph (3) shall include a legislative pro18 posal for implementing any program that the Presi19 dent recommends based on the determinations under

20 that paragraph.

Æ