Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act

Bill: 110-hr-2631
Sponsor: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-29]
Introduced: 2007-06-07 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Arms control
Arms control agreements
Arms control negotiations
Classified defense information
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal investigation
Energy
Environmental Protection
Forensic chemistry
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
International cooperation
Negotiations
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear nonproliferation
Nuclear terrorism
Nuclear weapons
Official secrets
Radiation
Treaties

Summary:
action_date: 2007-06-07
text: 
Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) pursue bilateral and multilateral agreements to establish an international framework for determining the source of any confiscated nuclear material or weapon, as well as the source of any detonated weapon and the nuclear material used in such a weapon; (2) develop protocols for the dissemination of sensitive information relating to nuclear materials and samples of controlled nuclear materials to the extent required by such agreements; and (3) develop expedited protocols for the dissemination of sensitive information needed to publicly identify the source of a nuclear detonation.

Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include within the mission of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to develop methods to attribute nuclear or radiological material to its source when such material is intercepted by the United States, foreign governments, or international bodies or dispersed in the course of a nuclear terrorist attack or other nuclear or radiological explosion.

action_date: 2008-06-18
text: 
Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act - (Sec. 3) Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) pursue bilateral and multilateral international agreements to establish, under the auspices of existing bilateral or multilateral agreements, an international framework for determining the source of any confiscated nuclear or radiological material or weapon, as well as the source of any detonated weapon and the nuclear or radiological material used in such a weapon; (2) develop protocols for the data exchange and dissemination of sensitive information relating to nuclear or radiological materials and samples of controlled nuclear or radiological materials to the extent required by such agreements; and (3) develop expedited protocols for the data exchange and dissemination of sensitive information needed to publicly identify the source of a nuclear detonation.
 
(Sec. 4) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include within the mission of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to: (1) develop and implement methods and capabilities to support the attribution of nuclear or radiological material to its source when such material is intercepted by the United States, foreign governments, or international bodies or dispersed in the course of a terrorist attack or other nuclear or radiological explosion; (2) establish within the Office a National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center to provide centralized stewardship, planning, assessment, gap analysis, exercises, improvement, and integration for all federal nuclear forensics activities to ensure an enduring national technical nuclear forensics capability to strengthen the collective U.S. response to nuclear terrorism or other nuclear attacks; (3) establish a National Nuclear Forensics Expertise Development Program, which is devoted to developing and maintaining a vibrant and enduring academic pathway from undergraduate to post-doctorate study in nuclear and geochemical science specialties directly relevant to technical nuclear forensics, which shall make available specified undergraduate and graduate study student scholarships and faculty awards, and which shall emphasize reinvigorating technical nuclear forensics programs while encouraging the participation of undergraduate and graduate students and university faculty from historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities; and (4) provide an annual report to Congress on activities under this section.
 
Authorizes appropriations.

action_date: 2008-09-26
text: 
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) pursue international agreements to establish an international framework for determining the source of any confiscated nuclear or radiological material or weapon and the source of any detonated weapon and the nuclear or radiological material used in such a weapon; (2) develop protocols for the data exchange and dissemination of sensitive information relating to nuclear or radiological materials; and (3) develop expedited protocols for the data exchange and dissemination of sensitive information needed to publicly identify the source of a nuclear detonation.
 
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include within the mission of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to: (1) develop and implement a National Strategy and Five-Year Implementation Plan for Improving the Nuclear Forensic and Attribution Capabilities of the United States Government (Plan) and methods, capabilities, and capacity for nuclear materials forensics and attribution; (2) establish within the Office a National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center to provide centralized stewardship, planning, assessment, gap analysis, exercises, improvement, and integration for all federal nuclear forensics and attribution activities and to coordinate and implement the Plan; and (3) establish a National Nuclear Forensics Expertise Development Program devoted to developing and maintaining a vibrant and enduring academic pathway from undergraduate to post-doctorate study in nuclear and geochemical science specialties directly relevant to technical nuclear forensics.
 
Requires the Director of the Office and each of the relevant departments that are partners in the National Technical Forensics Center to report annually to Congress and the President on: (1) each relevant agency's activities and investments in support of nuclear forensics and attribution activities; (2) the most current version of the Plan; and (3) funds allocated for authorized activities that are not spent.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-27
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2008-09-26
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S9852-9853; text as passed Senate: CR S9852-9853)
action_date: 2008-09-26
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S9852-9853; text as passed Senate: CR S9852-9853)
action_date: 2008-09-25
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1086.
action_date: 2008-09-25
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-25
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2008-06-19
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2008-06-18
text: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2008-06-18
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2008-06-18
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5513-5514)
action_date: 2008-06-18
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5513-5514)
action_date: 2008-06-18
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2631.
action_date: 2008-06-18
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5513-5517)
action_date: 2008-06-18
text: Mr. Thompson (MS) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2008-06-11
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 449.
action_date: 2008-06-11
text: Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.
action_date: 2008-06-11
text: Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.
action_date: 2008-06-11
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 110-708, Part I.
action_date: 2008-06-11
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 110-708, Part I.
action_date: 2008-05-20
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-05-20
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2007-10-31
text: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
action_date: 2007-10-31
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2007-10-10
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2007-06-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology.
action_date: 2007-06-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-06-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-06-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-06-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-06-07
text: Introduced in House