I 
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 Com-
mittee 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 juris-
diction 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nuclear Terrorism De-
terrence and Detection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Combating the threat of a terrorist deto-
nating a nuclear device on American soil is a critical 
security challenge. 
(2) Nuclear forensics contributes to the Na-
tion’s ability to deter and respond to nuclear ter-
rorism through technical analysis of nuclear mate-
rials intercepted intact or retrieved from post-explo-
sion debris. 
(3) Nuclear forensics, when combined with law 
enforcement and intelligence data, contributes to at-
tribution 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 per-
sonnel needs to be accelerated. The Nation is 
understaffed in nuclear forensics, with just 35 
to 50 experts at United States national labora-
tories and more than half of them likely to re-
tire in the next 10 to 15 years. 
(B) Equipment: Most of the Nation’s field 
and laboratory equipment used in nuclear 
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forensics analysis dates to the Cold War. A pro-
gram should be undertaken to develop and 
manufacture advanced, automated field-equip-
ment that allows for more rapid and accurate 
radiation analysis. 
(C) International Databases: Nuclear ma-
terial 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 origi-
nal source. 
(D) Independent Evaluation Group: Given 
the intelligence community’s failings in the as-
sessment of weapons of mass destruction in 
Iraq, there may be international skepticism re-
garding any nuclear forensics investigation the 
United States might perform. A group of recog-
nized experts not associated with the federal in-
vestigation would provide independent valida-
tion of the forensics analysis. 
(E) Exercises: Nuclear forensics investiga-
tions take time and the results may not be im-
mediately conclusive. Through realistic drills, 
senior leadership can become aware of the 
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strengths and limitations of the nation’s nuclear 
forensics capability and appropriately incor-
porate the capability into decision making. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NNSA FELLOWSHIP PRO-
GRAM 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 fund-
ing 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. 
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SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NNSA RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT 
FOR 
NUCLEAR 
FORENSICS 
FIELD 
RADIATION-MEASUREMENT 
EQUIP-
MENT. 
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 equip-
ment; 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 CAPABILI-
TIES. 
Section 3129(b) of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion 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 ac-
tions necessary to facilitate international cooperation 
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in enhancement of international nuclear-material 
databases and the linking of those databases to en-
able prompt data access.’’. 
SEC. 6. NUCLEAR FORENSICS ADVISORY PANEL. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Defense, the 
Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity shall establish a joint independent Nuclear 
Forensics Advisory Panel of recognized experts not di-
rectly associated with the Federal laboratories. The func-
tion 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, Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and Committee on Home-
land Security of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Appropriations, Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and Committee on Home-
land Security and Government Affairs of the Senate. 
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SEC. 7. PRESIDENTIAL REPORT ON INVOLVEMENT OF CABI-
NET-LEVEL LEADERSHIP IN CERTAIN EXER-
CISES THAT INCLUDE NUCLEAR FORENSICS 
ANALYSIS. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the President shall submit a report on 
the involvement of Cabinet-level leadership in planned nu-
clear terrorism preparedness exercises that have nuclear 
forensics analysis as a component of the exercise. The re-
port shall be submitted to— 
(1) the Committee on Appropriations, Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and Committee on Home-
land Security of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Appropriations, Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and Committee on Home-
land Security and Government Affairs of the Senate. 
Æ 
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