A bill to prohibit the use of funds to reduce the nuclear forces of the United States.

To prohibit the use of funds to reduce the nuclear forces of the United States. 1. Prohibition on the use of funds to reduce United States nuclear forces (a) Prohibition None of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Defense or the National Nuclear Security Administration for any of fiscal years 2022 through 2027 may be obligated or expended to reduce— (1) the total quantity of strategic delivery systems below the quantity of such systems as of January 1, 2021; (2) the quantity of deployed or non-deployed strategic delivery systems below the quantities described as the Final New START Treaty Force Structure Public Law 112–81 (3) the size of the nuclear weapons stockpile below the size of the stockpile as of January 1, 2021. (b) Exceptions The prohibition under subsection (a) does not apply to— (1) reductions made to ensure the safety, security, reliability, and credibility of the nuclear weapons stockpile and strategic delivery systems, including activities related to surveillance, assessment, certification, testing, and maintenance of nuclear weapons and strategic delivery systems; (2) temporary reductions in the quantity of nuclear weapons or deployed strategic delivery systems to facilitate the fielding of modernized replacements; (3) nuclear weapons that are retired or awaiting dismantlement as of January 1, 2021; or (4) reductions made pursuant to a treaty with respect to which the Senate has provided its advice and consent pursuant to article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) New START Treaty The term New START Treaty (2) Strategic delivery system The term strategic delivery system (A) LGM–30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and any associated reentry vehicles. (B) Launch facilities for LGM–30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, whether deployed or non-deployed. (C) Ohio-class fleet ballistic missile submarines. (D) UGM–133 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles and any associated reentry vehicles. (E) B–52H Stratofortress long-range heavy bombers. (F) B–2A Spirit stealth bombers. (G) AGM–86B air-launched cruise missiles. January 18, 2022 Read the second time and placed on the calendar

Summary: This bill prohibits the Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration from using funds for FY2022-FY2027 to reduce the nuclear forces of the United States. Specifically, no such funds may be obligated or expended to reduce (1) the total quantity of strategic delivery systems below the quantity of such systems as of January 1, 2021, (2) the quantity of deployed or non-deployed strategic delivery systems below quantities described as the Final New START Treaty Force Structure, or (3) the size of the nuclear weapons stockpile below the size of the stockpile as of January 1, 2021. Such prohibition does not apply to reductions made to ensure the safety, security, reliability, and credibility of the nuclear weapons stockpile and strategic delivery systems; temporary reductions in the quantity of nuclear weapons or deployed strategic delivery systems to facilitate the fielding of modernized replacements; nuclear weapons that are retired or awaiting dismantlement as of January 1, 2021; or reductions made pursuant to a treaty with respect to which the Senate has provided its advice and consent.