Nuclear Forensics Authority Realignment Act
Bill: H.R.464 | Sponsor: Rep. Foster, Bill (D-IL)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Nuclear Forensics Authority Realignment Act
This bill reorganizes nuclear forensics and attribution activities of the federal government. Specifically, the bill transfers nuclear forensics activities currently performed by the Department of Homeland Security to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within the Department of Energy (DOE). Nuclear forensics is the examination of nuclear and other radioactive materials to determine the origin and history of the material for purposes of law enforcement investigations or assessment of nuclear security vulnerabilities.
The bill also establishes the National Nuclear Forensics Center within the NNSA. The center must coordinate stewardship, planning, assessment, and other functions for all federal nuclear forensics and attribution activities.
Additionally, the NNSA must develop and implement a plan to modify its university-based research collaboration program to include the development of expertise in nuclear forensics in supporting scientific and engineering advancement in DOE defense and national security program areas.

To realign the nuclear forensics and attribution activities of the 
  Federal Government from the Department of Homeland Security to the 
               National Nuclear Security Administration.

    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 Forensics Authority 
Realignment Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL NUCLEAR FORENSICS CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The National Nuclear Security 
        Administration Act (50 U.S.C. 2401 et seq.) is amended by 
        inserting after section 3221 the following new section:

``SEC. 3222. NATIONAL NUCLEAR FORENSICS CENTER.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is within the Administration a National 
Nuclear Forensics Center (in this section referred to as the `Center').
    ``(b) Mission.--The mission of the Center shall be to coordinate 
stewardship, planning, assessment, gap analysis, exercises, 
improvement, including operational improvements and research, 
development, testing, and evaluation, and integration for all Federal 
nuclear forensics and attribution activities to ensure an enduring 
national technical nuclear forensics capability to strengthen the 
collective response of the United States to nuclear terrorism or other 
nuclear attacks.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents at the 
        beginning of such Act is amended by inserting after the item 
        relating to section 3221 the following new item:

``Sec. 3222. National Nuclear Forensics Center.''.
            (3) Nuclear forensics expertise.--Not later than one year 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
        for Nuclear Security shall develop and implement a plan to 
        modify the university program of the National Nuclear Security 
        Administration established under section 4814 of the Atomic 
        Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2795) to include the development 
        of expertise in nuclear forensics in supporting scientific and 
        engineering advancement in key Department of Energy defense and 
        national security program areas.
    (b) Conforming Repeals.--
            (1) In general.--The Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act 
        (Public Law 111-140) is hereby repealed.
            (2) Homeland security act of 2002.--Title XIX of the 
        Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 590 et seq.) is amended 
        as follows:
                    (A) In section 1923--
                            (i) in subsection (a)--
                                    (I) by striking ``(a) Mission.--'';
                                    (II) in paragraph (9), by striking 
                                the semicolon and inserting ``; and'';
                                    (III) by striking paragraphs (10), 
                                (11), (12), and (13); and
                                    (IV) by redesignating paragraph 
                                (14) as paragraph (10); and
                            (ii) by striking subsection (b).
                    (B) In section 1927(a)(1) (6 U.S.C. 596a(a)(1))--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking 
                        the semicolon and inserting ``; and'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking 
                        ``; and'' and inserting a period; and
                            (iii) by striking subparagraph (C).
    (c) References and Construction.--Any reference in any law, 
regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to 
the National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center established within the 
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office of the Department of 
Homeland Security, formerly the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, 
shall be deemed to be a reference to the National Nuclear Forensics 
Center established by section 3222 of the National Nuclear Security 
Administration Act, as added by subsection (a).
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