Prohibition on the use of funds to reduce United States nuclear forces

(a)

Prohibition

None of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Defense or the National Nuclear Security Administration for any of fiscal years 2022 through 2027 may be obligated or expended to reduce—(1)the total quantity of strategic delivery systems below the quantity of such systems as of January 1, 2021; (2)the quantity of deployed or non-deployed strategic delivery systems below the quantities described as the Final New START Treaty Force Structure in the plan on the implementation of the New START Treaty required by section 1042 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112–81; 125 Stat. 1575); or(3)the size of the nuclear weapons stockpile below the size of the stockpile as of January 1, 2021.(b)

Exceptions

The prohibition under subsection (a) does not apply to—(1)reductions made to ensure the safety, security, reliability, and credibility of the nuclear weapons stockpile and strategic delivery systems, including activities related to surveillance, assessment, certification, testing, and maintenance of nuclear weapons and strategic delivery systems; (2)temporary reductions in the quantity of nuclear weapons or deployed strategic delivery systems to facilitate the fielding of modernized replacements;(3)nuclear weapons that are retired or awaiting dismantlement as of January 1, 2021; or(4)reductions made pursuant to a treaty with respect to which the Senate has provided its advice and consent pursuant to article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States. (c)

Definitions

In this section:(1)

New START Treaty

The term New START Treaty means the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, signed on April 8, 2010, and entered into force on February 5, 2011.(2)

Strategic delivery system

The term strategic delivery system means any of the following:(A)LGM–30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and any associated reentry vehicles.(B)Launch facilities for LGM–30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, whether deployed or non-deployed. (C)Ohio-class fleet ballistic missile submarines.(D)UGM–133 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles and any associated reentry vehicles.(E)B–52H Stratofortress long-range heavy bombers.(F)B–2A Spirit stealth bombers.(G)AGM–86B air-launched cruise missiles.