---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 10203"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "10203"
heading: "Technical assistance to non-nuclear weapon states in field of spent fuel storage and disposal"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/10203"
units:
  - "Chapter 108 — Nuclear Waste Policy"
  - "Subchapter II — Research, Development, and Demonstration Regarding Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel"
---

# §10203. Technical assistance to non-nuclear weapon states in field of spent fuel storage and disposal

- (a) **Statement of policy—** It shall be the policy of the United States to cooperate with and provide technical assistance to non-nuclear weapon [states](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) in the field of spent fuel [storage](/usc/42/10101.md?p=25) and [disposal](/usc/42/10101.md?p=9).
- (b) **Publication of joint notice; update—**
  - (1) Within 90 days of January 7, 1983, the [Secretary](/usc/42/10101.md?p=20) and the [Commission](/usc/42/10101.md?p=7) shall publish a joint notice in the Federal Register stating that the United States is prepared to cooperate with and provide technical assistance to non-nuclear weapon [states](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) in the fields of at-reactor spent fuel [storage](/usc/42/10101.md?p=25); away-from-reactor spent fuel [storage](/usc/42/10101.md?p=25); monitored, retrievable spent fuel [storage](/usc/42/10101.md?p=25); geologic [disposal](/usc/42/10101.md?p=9) of spent fuel; and the health, safety, and environmental regulation of such activities. The notice shall summarize the resources that can be made available for international cooperation and assistance in these fields through existing programs of the [Department](/usc/42/10101.md?p=8) and the [Commission](/usc/42/10101.md?p=7), including the availability of: (i) data from past or ongoing research and development [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2); (ii) consultations with expert [Department](/usc/42/10101.md?p=8) or [Commission](/usc/42/10101.md?p=7) personnel or contractors; and (iii) liaison with private business entities and organizations working in these fields.
  - (2) The joint notice described in the preceding subparagraph shall be updated and reissued annually for 5 succeeding years.
- (c) **Notification to non-nuclear weapon states; expressions of interest—** Following publication of the annual joint notice referred to in paragraph (2),[^1] the Secretary of State shall inform the governments of non-nuclear weapon [states](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) and, as feasible, the organizations operating nuclear powerplants in such [states](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24), that the United States is prepared to cooperate with and provide technical assistance to non-nuclear weapon [states](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) in the fields of spent fuel [storage](/usc/42/10101.md?p=25) and [disposal](/usc/42/10101.md?p=9), as set forth in the joint notice. The Secretary of State shall also solicit expressions of interest from non-nuclear weapon [state](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) governments and non-nuclear weapon [state](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) nuclear power reactor operators concerning their participation in expanded United States cooperation and technical assistance programs in these fields. The Secretary of State shall transmit any such expressions of interest to the [Department](/usc/42/10101.md?p=8) and the [Commission](/usc/42/10101.md?p=7).
- (d) **Funding requests—** With his budget presentation materials for the [Department](/usc/42/10101.md?p=8) and the [Commission](/usc/42/10101.md?p=7) for fiscal years 1984 through 1989, the President shall include funding requests for an expanded program of cooperation and technical assistance with non-nuclear weapon [states](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) in the fields of spent fuel [storage](/usc/42/10101.md?p=25) and [disposal](/usc/42/10101.md?p=9) as appropriate in light of expressions of interest in such cooperation and assistance on the part of non-nuclear weapon [state](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) governments and non-nuclear weapon [state](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24) nuclear power reactor operators.
- (e) **“Non-nuclear weapon state” defined—** For the purposes of this subsection,[^2] the term “non-nuclear weapon [state](/usc/42/10101.md?p=24)” shall have the same meaning as that set forth in article IX of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (21 U.S.C.[^3] 438).
- (f) **Unauthorized actions—** Nothing in this subsection[^2] shall authorize the [Department](/usc/42/10101.md?p=8) or the [Commission](/usc/42/10101.md?p=7) to take any action not authorized under existing law.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “paragraph (2) of subsection (b),”.
[^2]: So in original. Probably should be “section”.
[^3]: So in original. Probably should be “UST”.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 97–425, title II, § 223, Jan. 7, 1983, 96 Stat. 2254.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, referred to in subsec. (e), is set out in 21 UST 483; TIAS 6839.