U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 2523. Plan for stewardship, management, and certification of warheads in the nuclear weapons stockpile

(a) Plan requirement

The Secretary of Energy shall develop and annually update a plan for maintaining the nuclear weapons stockpile. The plan shall cover, at a minimum, stockpile stewardship, stockpile management, and program direction and shall be consistent with the programmatic and technical requirements of the most recent annual Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Memorandum.

(b) Plan elements

The plan and each update of the plan shall set forth the following:

(1) The number of warheads (including active and inactive warheads) for each warhead type in the nuclear weapons stockpile.

(2) The current age of each warhead type, and any plans for stockpile lifetime extensions and modifications or replacement of each warhead type.

(3) The process by which the Secretary of Energy is assessing the lifetime, and requirements for lifetime extension or replacement, of the nuclear and nonnuclear components of the warheads (including active and inactive warheads) in the nuclear weapons stockpile.

(4) The process used in recertifying the safety, security, and reliability of each warhead type in the nuclear weapons stockpile.

(5) Any concerns which would affect the ability of the Secretary of Energy to recertify the safety, security, or reliability of warheads in the nuclear weapons stockpile (including active and inactive warheads).

The Secretary of Energy shall submit to Congress the plan developed under subsection (a) not later than March 15, 1998, and shall submit an updated version of the plan not later than May 1 of each year thereafter. The plan shall be submitted in both classified and unclassified form.

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