50 U.S. Code § 2532 - Manufacturing infrastructure for refabrication and certification of nuclear weapons stockpile

(a) Manufacturing program

(1) The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a program for purposes of establishing within the Government a manufacturing infrastructure that has the capabilities of meeting the following objectives as specified in the most recent Nuclear Posture Review:

(A) To provide a stockpile surveillance engineering base.

(B) To refabricate and certify weapon components and types in the enduring nuclear weapons stockpile, as necessary.

(C) To fabricate and certify new nuclear warheads, as necessary.

(D) To support nuclear weapons.

(E) To supply sufficient tritium in support of nuclear weapons to ensure an upload hedge in the event circumstances require.

(2) The purpose of the program carried out under paragraph (1) shall also be to develop manufacturing capabilities and capacities necessary to meet the requirements specified in the annual Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Memorandum.

(b) Required capabilities

The manufacturing infrastructure established under the program under subsection (a) shall include the following capabilities (modernized to attain the objectives referred to in that subsection):

(1) The weapons assembly capabilities of the Pantex Plant.

(2) The weapon secondary fabrication capabilities of the Y–12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

(3) The capabilities of the Savannah River Site relating to tritium recycling and fissile materials components processing and fabrication.

(4) The non-nuclear component capabilities of the Kansas City National Security Campus, Kansas City, Missouri.

(c) Nuclear Posture Review

For purposes of subsection (a), the term “Nuclear Posture Review” means the Department of Defense Nuclear Posture Review as contained in the Report of the Secretary of Defense to the President and Congress dated February 19, 1995, or subsequent such reports.

(Pub. L. 107–314, div. D, title XLII, § 4212, formerly Pub. L. 104–106, div. C, title XXXI, § 3137, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 620; Pub. L. 104–201, div. C, title XXXI, § 3132(a), (b), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2829; renumbered Pub. L. 107–314, div. D, title XLII, § 4212, and amended Pub. L. 108–136, div. C, title XXXI, § 3141(e)(13), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1760; Pub. L. 112–239, div. C, title XXXI, § 3131(e), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2181; Pub. L. 113–66, div. C, title XXXI, § 3146(c)(6), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 1074; Pub. L. 116–92, div. C, title XXXI, § 3139(b)(3), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1962.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was formerly set out as a note under section 2121 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 108–136.

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 116–92, § 3139(b)(3)(A), inserted “most recent” before “Nuclear Posture Review”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 116–92, § 3139(b)(3)(B)(i), substituted “National Security Complex” for “Plant”.

Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 116–92, § 3139(b)(3)(B)(ii), substituted “National Security Campus, Kansas City, Missouri” for “Plant”.

2013—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 113–66, § 3146(c)(6)(A), substituted “Memorandum” for “Review”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–66, § 3146(c)(6)(B), substituted “Congress” for “the Congress”.

Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 112–239 struck out subsecs. (d) and (e), which related, respectively, to funding and submission to Congress by Secretary of plans and reports.

2003—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 108–136, § 3141(e)(13)(D), inserted “of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996 (Public Law 104–106)” after “section 3101(b)”.

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–201, § 3132(a), designated existing provisions as par. (1), redesignated former pars. (1) to (5) as subpars. (A) to (E), respectively, and added par. (2).

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 104–201, § 3132(b), amended par. (3) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: “The tritium production, recycling, and other weapons-related capabilities of the Savannah River Site.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Acceleration of Depleted Uranium Manufacturing Processes

Pub. L. 117–263, div. C, title XXXI, § 3121, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3056, provided that:

“(a) Acceleration of Manufacturing.—

The Administrator for Nuclear Security shall require the nuclear security enterprise to accelerate the modernization of manufacturing processes for depleted uranium by 2030 so that the nuclear security enterprise—

“(1) demonstrates bulk cold hearth melting of depleted uranium alloys to augment existing capabilities on an operational basis for war reserve components;

“(2) manufactures, on a repeatable and ongoing basis, war reserve depleted uranium alloy components using net shape casting;

“(3) demonstrates, if possible, a production facility to conduct routine operations for manufacturing depleted uranium alloy components outside of the current perimeter security fencing of the Y–12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and

“(4) has available high purity depleted uranium for the production of war reserve components.

“(b) Annual Briefing.—

Not later than March 31, 2023, and annually thereafter through 2030, the Administrator shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on—

“(1) progress made in carrying out subsection (a);

“(2) the cost of activities conducted under such subsection during the preceding fiscal year; and

“(3) the ability of the nuclear security enterprise to convert depleted uranium fluoride hexafluoride to depleted uranium tetrafluoride.

“(c) Nuclear Security Enterprise Defined.—

In this section, the term ‘nuclear security enterprise’ has the meaning given that term in section 4002 of the Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2501).”