---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 6266"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "6266"
heading: "Notification of nuclear criticality and non-nuclear incidents"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/6266"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part VI — Elements of Department of Defense and Other Matters"
  - "Subpart B — Atomic Energy Defense"
  - "Chapter 606 — Personnel Matters"
  - "Subchapter III — Worker Safety"
---

# §6266. Notification of nuclear criticality and non-nuclear incidents

- (a) **Notification.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy or the [Administrator](/usc/10/2700.md?p=3), as the case may be, shall submit to the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/10/301.md?p=1) a notification of a nuclear criticality incident resulting from a covered [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) that results in an injury or fatality or results in the shutdown, or partial shutdown, of a covered [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) by not later than 15 days after the date of such incident.
- (b) **Elements of Notification.—** Each notification submitted under [subsection (a)](#a) shall include the following:
  - (1) A description of the incident, including the cause of the incident.
  - (2) In the case of a criticality incident, whether the incident caused a [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2), or part of a [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2), to be shut down.
  - (3) The effect, if any, on the mission of the Administration or the Office of Environmental Management of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Energy.
  - (4) Any corrective action taken in [response](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) to the incident.
- (c) **Database.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall maintain a [record](/usc/10/801.md?p=14) of incidents described in [paragraph (2)](#c-2).
  - (2) An incident described in this paragraph is any of the following incidents resulting from a covered [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1):
    - (A) A nuclear criticality incident that results in an injury or fatality or results in the shutdown, or partial shutdown, of a covered [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2).
    - (B) A non-nuclear incident that results in serious bodily injury or fatality at a covered [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2).
- (d) **Cooperation.—** In carrying out this section, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) and the [Administrator](/usc/10/2700.md?p=3) shall ensure that each management and operating contractor of a covered [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) cooperates in a timely manner.
- (e) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) The term “[appropriate congressional committees](/usc/10/301.md?p=1)” means—
    - (A) the [congressional defense committees](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-16); and
    - (B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.
  - (2) The term “covered [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2)” means—
    - (A) a [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) of the nuclear security enterprise; and
    - (B) a [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) conducting activities for the defense environmental cleanup [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) of the Office of Environmental Management of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Energy.
  - (3) The term “covered [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1)” means—
    - (A) [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) of the Administration; and
    - (B) defense environmental cleanup [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) of the Office of Environmental Management of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Energy.

## Source credit

(Added and amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. C, title XXXI, § 3111(a), (d)(2)(B), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1424, 1462.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2736 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.