Nuclear Forensics Authority Realignment Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8969 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8969

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2026

 Mr. Foster (for himself, Mr. DesJarlais, and Mr. Morelle) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, Armed 
    Services, and 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  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 6338 of title 10, 
        United States Code, 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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