§ 2704. Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities workforce restructuring plan

(a) In general

Upon determination that a change in the workforce at a defense nuclear facility is necessary, the Secretary of Energy shall develop a plan for restructuring the workforce for the defense nuclear facility that takes into account—

(1) the reconfiguration of the defense nuclear facility; and

(2) the plan for the nuclear weapons stockpile that is the most recently prepared plan at the time of the development of the plan referred to in this subsection.

(b) Consultation

(1) In developing a plan referred to in subsection (a) and any updates of the plan under subsection (e), the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Labor, appropriate representatives of local and national collective-bargaining units of individuals employed at Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities, appropriate representatives of departments and agencies of State and local governments, appropriate representatives of State and local institutions of higher education, and appropriate representatives of community groups in communities affected by the restructuring plan.

(2) The Secretary shall determine appropriate representatives of the units, governments, institutions, and groups referred to in paragraph (1).

In preparing the plan required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall be guided by the following objectives:

(1) Changes in the workforce at a Department of Energy defense nuclear facility—

(A) should be accomplished so as to minimize social and economic impacts;

(B) should be made only after the provision of notice of such changes not later than 120 days before the commencement of such changes to such employees and the communities in which such facilities are located; and

(C) should be accomplished, when possible, through the use of retraining, early retirement, attrition, and other options that minimize layoffs.

(2) Employees whose employment in positions at such facilities is terminated shall, to the extent practicable, receive preference in any hiring of the Department of Energy (consistent with applicable employment seniority plans or practices of the Department of Energy and with section 3152 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101–189; 103 Stat. 1682)).

(3) Employees shall, to the extent practicable, be retrained for work in environmental restoration and waste management activities at such facilities or other facilities of the Department of Energy.

(4) The Department of Energy should provide relocation assistance to employees who are transferred to other Department of Energy facilities as a result of the plan.

(5) The Department of Energy should assist terminated employees in obtaining appropriate retraining, education, and reemployment assistance (including employment placement assistance).

(6) The Department of Energy should provide local impact assistance to communities that are affected by the restructuring plan and coordinate the provision of such assistance with—

(A) programs carried out by the Secretary of Labor under title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 [29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.];

(B) programs carried out pursuant to the Defense Economic Adjustment, Diversification, Conversion, and Stabilization Act of 1990 (division D of Public Law 101–510; 10 U.S.C. 2391 note ); and

(C) programs carried out by the Department of Commerce pursuant to title II of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.).

(d) Implementation

The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, work on an ongoing basis with representatives of the Department of Labor, workforce bargaining units, and States and local communities in carrying out a plan required under subsection (a).

(e) Plan updates

Not later than one year after issuing a plan referred to in subsection (a) and on an annual basis thereafter, the Secretary shall issue an update of the plan. Each updated plan under this subsection shall—

(1) be guided by the objectives referred to in subsection (c), taking into account any changes in the function or mission of the Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities and any other changes in circumstances that the Secretary determines to be relevant;

(2) contain an evaluation by the Secretary of the implementation of the plan during the year preceding the report; and

(3) contain such other information and provide for such other matters as the Secretary determines to be relevant.

(f) Submittal to Congress

(1) The Secretary shall submit to Congress a plan referred to in subsection (a) with respect to a defense nuclear facility within 90 days after the date on which a notice of changes described in subsection (c)(1)(B) is provided to employees of the facility, or 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,^[1] whichever is later.

(2) The Secretary shall submit to Congress any updates of the plan under subsection (e) immediately upon completion of any such update.

(g) Department of Energy defense nuclear facility defined

In this section, the term “Department of Energy defense nuclear facility” means—

(1) a production facility or utilization facility (as those terms are defined in section 2014 of title 42) that is under the control or jurisdiction of the Secretary and that is operated for national security purposes (including the tritium loading facility at Savannah River, South Carolina, the 236 H facility at Savannah River, South Carolina; and the Mound Laboratory, Ohio), but the term does not include any facility that does not conduct atomic energy defense activities and does not include any facility or activity covered by Executive Order Number 12344, dated February 1, 1982, pertaining to the naval nuclear propulsion program;

(2) a nuclear waste storage or disposal facility that is under the control or jurisdiction of the Secretary;

(3) a testing and assembly facility that is under the control or jurisdiction of the Secretary and that is operated for national security purposes (including the Nevada Test Site, Nevada; the Pinnellas Plant, Florida; and the Pantex facility, Texas);

(4) an atomic weapons research facility that is under the control or jurisdiction of the Secretary (including Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, and Sandia National Laboratories); or

(5) any facility described in paragraphs (1) through (4) that—

(A) is no longer in operation;

(B) was under the control or jurisdiction of the Department of Defense, the Atomic Energy Commission, or the Energy Research and Development Administration; and

[1] See References in Text note below.

U.S. Code

§ 2704. Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities workforce restructuring plan