[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2746 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  2d Session
                                S. 2746

    To provide for the termination of the current contract for the 
operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 22, 2004

 Mr. Allard introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
        referred to the Committee on Armed ServicesYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for the termination of the current contract for the 
operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Los Alamos National Laboratory 
National Security Act for Fiscal Year 2004''.

SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF CURRENT CONTRACT FOR OPERATION OF LOS ALAMOS 
              NATIONAL LABORATORY, NEW MEXICO.

    (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
            (1) The Department of Energy's nuclear weapons program and 
        its other national defense and research activities at Los 
        Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, are of vital importance 
        to the national security of the United States.
            (2) The workforce, including nuclear weapons designers, 
        engineers, scientists, and technicians, at Los Alamos National 
        Laboratory are an invaluable asset to the national security of 
        the United States.
            (3) Significant security and safety violations have 
        occurred with increasing frequency at Los Alamos National 
        Laboratory over the last decade.
            (4) An unacceptable attitude of indifference and 
        carelessness on the part of the existing contractor, the 
        University of California, has contributed to a culture at Los 
        Alamos National Laboratory that has lead to numerous security 
        and safety violations at the Laboratory over the last few 
        years.
            (5) The University of California has managed Los Alamos 
        National Laboratory for almost 60 years, but, in spite of 
        repeated admonitions from the Department of Energy, has not 
        properly addressed a culture that has led to security and 
        safety violations at the Laboratory.
            (6) The Secretary of Energy and the Administrator for 
        Nuclear Security have repeatedly criticized the University of 
        California for security and safety failures at Los Alamos 
        National Laboratory, and even required the termination of a 
        laboratory manager, but the University of California continues 
        to permit a lax environment and culture to remain at the 
        Laboratory. While an open academic environment works well on 
        university campuses, it cannot be tolerated at the nuclear 
        weapons facilities of the United States.
            (7) Recent violations at Los Alamos National Laboratory, 
        including the disappearance of two classified hard drives, the 
        transmission of classified information via the Internet, the 
        needless injury of Laboratory employees, and fraudulent use of 
        government resources, indicate the immediate need for new 
        management, mechanisms, and controls to bring the violations at 
        the Laboratory to an end.
            (8) Repeated security and safety violations undermine the 
        critical work at Los Alamos National Laboratory, place the 
        well-being of workers at risk, and threaten the national 
        security of the United States.
            (9) The national security interests of the United States 
        require that the Department of Energy's contract with 
        University of California at Los Alamos National Laboratory be 
        terminated.
    (b) Termination of Contract.--The Secretary of Energy shall 
terminate the contract of the University of California to operate Los 
Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, not later than March 15, 2005.
    (c) Interim Contractor.--For the period beginning on the date of 
the termination of the contract of the University of California to 
operate Los Alamos National Laboratory under subsection (b) and ending 
on the date of the award of the contract to the successor to the 
University of California, the Secretary shall appoint as the contractor 
to operate Los Alamos National Laboratory such element of the Federal 
Government, or such private entity, as the Secretary considers 
appropriate for that purpose.
    (d) Retention of Essential Employees.--The Secretary shall take 
appropriate actions to ensure the retention of essential employees at 
Los Alamos National Laboratory both during the period referred to in 
subsection (c) and after the commencement of operations of Los Alamos 
National Laboratory by the successor to the University of California.
    (e) Prohibition on Contract Award to University of California.--No 
contract (including a multi-party contract) for the operation of Los 
Alamos National Laboratory that is awarded after the date of the 
enactment of this Act may be awarded to the University of California, 
whether as the prime contractor or as a subcontractor in any capacity.
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