107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 1117
To establish the policy of the United States for reducing the number of nuclear warheads in the United States and Russian arsenals, for reducing the number of nuclear weapons of those two nations that are on high alert, and for expanding and accelerating programs to prevent diversion and proliferation of Russian nuclear weapons, fissile materials, and nuclear expertise.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JUNE 27, 2001
Ms. LANDRIEU introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
A BILL
To establish the policy of the United States for reducing the number of nuclear warheads in the United States and Russian arsenals, for reducing the number of nuclear weapons of those two nations that are on high alert, and for expanding and accelerating programs to prevent diversion and proliferation of Russian nuclear weapons, fissile materials, and nuclear expertise.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
S 1117 IS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.--This Act may be cited as the ''Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 2001''.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.--The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Purpose.
Sec. 3. Reduction in number of warheads in arsenals of United States and Russia.
Sec. 4. Reduction in alert status of nuclear weapons of United States and Russia.
Sec. 5. Acceleration of programs to prevent diversion of nuclear weapons, materials, and expertise from Russia.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to decrease substantially the likelihood of the intentional use of nuclear weapons,
or their unintentional use as a result of accident, miscalculation, unauthorized action, or terrorist activity.
SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF WARHEADS IN ARSENALS OF UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA.
(a) REPEAL OF PROHIBITION AGAINST REDUCTIONS.--Section 1302 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105-85) is repealed.
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.--It is the policy of the United States to reduce the number of nuclear warheads
and nuclear weapons delivery systems of the United States and Russia, through bilateral agreements between the United States and Russia, to the lowest possible number
consistent with the national security of the United States.
Any bilateral agreement for purposes of that policy shall provide for transparency, predictability, and verification of the reductions.
(c) IMPLEMENTATION OF REDUCTIONS.--In effecting any reduction in the number of nuclear warheads of the
United States, it shall be the policy of the United States--
(1) that such reductions be intended as permanent reductions in the United States nuclear weapons force, in keeping with the purposes and objectives of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty;
(2) that if the President makes unilateral reductions in the United States nuclear weapons force, such reductions should be intended to facilitate bilateral agreement with Russia, and the President
should undertake diplomatic efforts to convince Russia to undertake parallel or commensurate reduc-
tions in its nuclear weapons force; and
(3) that the President should (A) offer enhanced consultation and cooperation by the United States with Russia in making such reductions, and (B) pursue enhanced transparency and other confidence-building measures to ensure predictable and stable strategic relations between the two nations.
(d) POLICY REGARDING WARHEADS REMOVED FROM WEAPON SYSTEMS.--(1) It is the policy of the United
States to ensure through formal agreements with Russia that any nuclear warhead removed from a weapon system by either nation as part of reductions in the number of warheads or systems pursuant to the policies in this Act--
(A) be kept safe and secure;
(B) be accounted for; and
(C) eventually be destroyed or eliminated in a manner that is verifiable by the other nation.
(2) Any such formal agreement shall be entered into either through the agreement referred to in subsection (b) or other agreement between the United States and Russia.
SEC. 4. REDUCTION IN ALERT STATUS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS OF UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA.
(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.--It is the policy of the United States to pursue with Russia formal arrangements
to remove as many nuclear weapons of those two nations as possible from immediate, launch-ready (or ''high alert'') status, consistent with United States national security, beginning with those weapons earmarked for downloading, dismantlement, or elimination under the START II treaty. Such arrangements should seek to ensure that any change in the alert status of such weapons of either nation be transparent and verifiable.
(b) IMPLEMENTATION OF REDUCTION IN ALERT STATUS.--If the President makes unilateral changes to
the alert status of weapons in the United States nuclear arsenal, such changes should--
(1) be consistent with the national security of the United States; and
(2) be pursued as part of a broader United States effort to persuade Russia to enter into arrangements as called for in subsection (a).
(c) SECURITY AND VERIFIABILITY.--Any formal arrangement that results from subsection (a) should include
measures to ensure that--
(1) weapons, including their warheads, that are removed from high alert status are secure and accounted for throughout the process by which they are removed from that status; and
(2) such accountability measures are verifiable by both nations.
SEC. 5. ACCELERATION OF PROGRAMS TO PREVENT DIVERSION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, MATERIALS,
AND EXPERTISE FROM RUSSIA.
(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.--It is the policy of the United States to work cooperatively with Russia to prevent
the diversion of nuclear weapons, materials, and expertise from Russia. In furtherance of that objective, the policy of the United States should include the following:
(1) With respect to the nuclear weapons arsenal of Russia--
(A) ensuring that all the elements of that arsenal, including delivery systems, are identified and accounted for;
(B) identifying with Russia those elements of that arsenal that are most susceptible to proliferation; and
(C) ensuring that the weapons in that arsenal and their components are secured and safeguarded, placing the highest priority on safeguards for those weapons and components that are identified pursuant to subparagraph (B) as being those most susceptible to proliferation.
(2) With respect to Russia's stockpile of nuclear weapons materials (other than materials in Russia's arsenal)--
(A) ensuring that all the elements of that stockpile are identified and accounted for;
(B) identifying with Russia those elements of that stockpile that are most susceptible to proliferation; and
(C) ensuring that the elements of that stockpile are secured and safeguarded, placing the highest priority on safeguards for those elements of that stockpile that are identified pursuant to subparagraph (B) as being those most susceptible to proliferation.
(3) With respect to nuclear weapons expertise in Russia--
(A) identifying and accounting for the extent of that expertise in cities in Russia referred to as ''Nuclear Cities'' and elsewhere in Russia;
(B) developing and pursuing programs that make productive use of that expertise inside Russia and help prevent the spread of that expertise outside of Russia; and
(C) developing and pursuing initiatives to reduce the Russian nuclear production capacity to a size appropriate to its post-Cold War mission.
(4) Rendering permanently unusable for weapons purposes all nuclear materials and weapons systems that Russia no longer requires to support its arsenal and forces.
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.--To carry out activities under this Act, cooperative threat reduction programs of the Department of Defense under section 1501(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (50 U.S.C. 2362 note), and other cooperative threat reduction, nonproliferation, and related programs, there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2002 amounts as follows:
(1) For the Department of Defense $600,000,000.
(2) For the Department of Energy $1,200,000,000.
(3) For the Department of State, $200,000,000.
(c) PLAN FOR NONPROLIFERATION PROGRAMS WITH RUSSIA.--
(1) IN GENERAL.--Not later than April 15, 2002, the President shall submit to Congress a plan--
(A) to secure and neutralize over the succeeding eight years all nuclear weapons and
weapons-usable nuclear material in Russia that Russia does not retain in its nuclear arsenal;
and
(B) to prevent the outflow from Russia of scientific expertise that could be used for developing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, including delivery systems.
(2) CONTENT OF PLAN.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
(A) Specific goals and measurable objectives for the programs that are designed to carry out the objectives specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1). (B) Criteria for success for those programs and a strategy for eventual termination of United States contributions to those programs and assumption of the ongoing support of those programs by Russia.
(C) A description of the administrative and organizational changes that the President plans to take, or will have taken, in order to achieve the direction and coordination of those programs that is necessary for their effectiveness.
(3) COORDINATION WITH RUSSIA.--In developing the plan required by paragraph (1), the President shall coordinate with Russia to ensure that elements of the plan are practicable.
(4) CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS.--In developing the plan required by paragraph (1), the President shall consult with the majority and minority leadership of the appropriate committees of Congress.
(d) REPORT ON DEBT-FOR-SECURITY PROGRAM.--
(1) STUDY.--The President shall conduct a study of the feasibility of creating a new source of funds for nuclear nonproliferation programs in Russia through establishment of a program providing for the forgiveness of international debt of Russia in exchange for payments by Russia into an independent fund that, under strict conditions, would support the implementation of agreed-upon nuclear nonproliferation programs.
(2) CONSULTATION.--In the conduct of the study under paragraph (1), the President shall consult with appropriate representatives of Russia and other nations whose participation in such a program the President determines to be necessary or desirable.
(3) REPORT ON PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATIONS.--Not later than April 15, 2002, the President shall submit to Congress a report on the study required by paragraph (1). The report shall include the President's determinations, together with supporting facts and reasoning, as to each of the following:
(A) The prospects for the participation of creditor nations in addition to the United States in the program of debt forgiveness.
(B) The extent to which payments by Russia into a fund described in paragraph (1) should be made in Russian currency.
(C) The appropriate ratio between the amount of such payments and the amount of debt forgiven.
(D) The purposes for which amounts in the fund should be permitted to be expended.
(E) The means for assuring that those amounts are expended for those purposes.
(F) The feasibility of establishing such a program.
(4) LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL.--The report under paragraph (3) shall include a legislative proposal for implementing any program that the President recommends based on the determinations under that paragraph.
Source: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c107:1:./temp/~c1074Tv6G5 :: (Library of Congress database)
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