---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 6155"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "6155"
heading: "Acceleration of removal or security of fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment at vulnerable sites worldwide"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/6155"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part VI — Elements of Department of Defense and Other Matters"
  - "Subpart B — Atomic Energy Defense"
  - "Chapter 603 — Proliferation Matters"
---

# §6155. Acceleration of removal or security of fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment at vulnerable sites worldwide

- (a) **Sense of Congress.—**
  - (1) It is the sense of Congress that the security, including the rapid [removal](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) or secure storage, of high-risk, proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment at vulnerable sites worldwide should be a top priority among the activities to achieve the [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
  - (2) It is the sense of Congress that the President may establish in the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Energy a task force to be known as the Task Force on Nuclear Materials to carry out the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) authorized by [subsection (b)](#b).
- (b) **Program Authorized.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy may carry out a [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) to undertake an accelerated, comprehensive worldwide effort to mitigate the threats posed by high-risk, proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment located at sites potentially vulnerable to theft or diversion.
- (c) **Program Elements.—**
  - (1) Activities under the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) under [subsection (b)](#b) may include the following:
    - (A) Accelerated efforts to secure, remove, or eliminate proliferation-attractive fissile materials or radiological materials in research reactors, other reactors, and other [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) worldwide.
    - (B) Arrangements for the secure shipment of proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment to other countries willing to accept such materials and equipment, or to the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) if such countries cannot be identified, and the provision of secure storage or disposition of such materials and equipment following shipment.
    - (C) The transportation of proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment from sites identified as proliferation risks to secure [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) in other countries or in the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
    - (D) The processing and packaging of proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment in accordance with required [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) for transport, storage, and disposition.
    - (E) The provision of interim security upgrades for vulnerable, proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment pending their [removal](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) from their current sites.
    - (F) The utilization of funds to upgrade security and accounting at sites where proliferation-attractive fissile materials or radiological materials will remain for an extended period of time in order to ensure that such materials are secure against plausible potential threats and will remain so in the future.
    - (G) The management of proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment at secure [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2).
    - (H) Actions to ensure that security, including security upgrades at sites and [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) for the storage or disposition of proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment, continues to [function](/usc/10/467.md?p=1) as intended.
    - (I) The provision of technical support to the International Atomic Energy [Agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) (IAEA), other countries, and other entities to facilitate [removal](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) of, and security upgrades to [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) that contain, proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment worldwide.
    - (J) The development of alternative fuels and irradiation targets based on low-enriched uranium to convert research or other reactors fueled by highly-enriched uranium to such alternative fuels, as well as the conversion of reactors and irradiation targets employing highly-enriched uranium to employment of such alternative fuels and targets.
    - (K) Accelerated actions for the blend down of highly-enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium.
    - (L) The provision of assistance in the closure and decommissioning of sites identified as presenting risks of proliferation of proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment.
    - (M) [Programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) to—
      - (i) assist in the placement of employees displaced as a result of actions pursuant to the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) in enterprises not representing a proliferation threat; and
      - (ii) convert (including through the use of alternative technologies) sites identified as presenting risks of proliferation regarding proliferation-attractive fissile materials, radiological materials, and related equipment to purposes not representing a proliferation threat to the extent necessary to eliminate the proliferation threat.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy shall, in coordination with the Secretary of State, carry out the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) in consultation with, and with the assistance of, appropriate [departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6), [agencies](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3), and other entities of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) Government.
  - (3) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy shall, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, carry out activities under the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) in collaboration with such foreign governments, non-governmental organizations, and other international entities as the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy considers appropriate for the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
- (d) **Funding.—** Amounts authorized to be appropriated to the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy for defense nuclear nonproliferation activities shall be available for purposes of the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) under this section.
- (e) **Participation by Other Governments and Organizations.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy may, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, enter into one or more agreements with any [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) (including a foreign government, international organization, or multinational entity) that the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy considers appropriate under which the [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) contributes funds for purposes of the [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) described in [paragraph (2)](#e-2).
  - (2) The [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) described in this paragraph are any [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) within the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation of the National Nuclear Security Administration.
  - (3) Notwithstanding [section 3302 of title 31](/usc/31/3302.md), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy may retain and use amounts contributed under an agreement under [paragraph (1)](#e-1) for purposes of the [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) described in [paragraph (2)](#e-2). Amounts so contributed shall be retained in a separate fund established in the Treasury for such purposes and shall be available for use without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation.
  - (4) If an amount contributed under an agreement under [paragraph (1)](#e-1) is not used under this subsection within 5 years after it was contributed, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy shall return that amount to the [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) who contributed it.
  - (5) Not later than October 31 of each year, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy shall submit to the [congressional defense committees](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-16) a report on the receipt and use of amounts under this subsection during the preceding fiscal year. Each report for a fiscal year shall set forth—
    - (A) a statement of any amounts received under this subsection, including, for each such amount, the value of the contribution and the [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) who contributed it;
    - (B) a statement of any amounts used under this subsection, including, for each such amount, the purposes for which the amount was used; and
    - (C) a statement of the amounts retained but not used under this subsection, including, for each such amount, the purposes (if known) for which the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) intends to use the amount.
- (f) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) The term “fissile materials” means plutonium, highly-enriched uranium, or other material capable of sustaining an explosive nuclear chain reaction, including irradiated items containing such materials if the radiation field from such items is not sufficient to prevent the theft or misuse of such items.
  - (2) The term “radiological materials” [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) Americium-241, Californium-252, Cesium-137, Cobalt-60, Iridium-192, Plutonium-238, Radium-226, Strontium-90, Curium-244, and irradiated items containing such materials, or other materials designated by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy for purposes of this paragraph.
  - (3) The term “related equipment” [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) equipment useful for enrichment of uranium in the isotope 235 and for extraction of fissile materials from irradiated fuel rods and other equipment designated by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy for purposes of this section.
  - (4) The term “highly-enriched uranium” means uranium enriched to or above 20 percent in the isotope 235.
  - (5) The term “low-enriched uranium” means uranium enriched below 20 percent in the isotope 235.
  - (6) The term “proliferation-attractive”, in the case of fissile materials and radiological materials, means quantities and types of such materials that are determined by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy to present a significant risk to the [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) if diverted to a use relating to proliferation.
  - (7) The term “alternative technologies” means technologies, such as accelerator-based equipment, that do not use radiological materials.

## Source credit

(Added and amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. C, title XXXI, § 3111(a), (d)(2), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1377, 1462.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 6155 was renumbered section 8266 of this title.

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2569 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(b)(1).

### Amendments

2025—Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(d)(2)(B), realigned margins.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(d)(2)(A), struck out pars. (1) to (5) headings which read as follows: “In general”, “Programs covered”, “Retention and use of amounts”, “Return of amounts not used within 5 years”, and “Annual report”, respectively.