[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 466 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 466

  Expressing the sense of the Senate in support of the International 
          Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) nuclear security role.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 2, 2021

    Mr. Lujan (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Merkley) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Senate in support of the International 
          Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) nuclear security role.

Whereas the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), created in 1957 for the 
        purpose of assisting states in the development and use of nuclear 
        technology for peaceful purposes, plays a critical role in the global 
        nuclear security regime;
Whereas the agency's activities in nuclear security date back to the 1970s, when 
        the agency began providing ad hoc training courses in physical 
        protection;
Whereas these responsibilities expanded following the collapse of the former 
        Soviet Union, reports of nuclear smuggling in the late 1990s, and again 
        after the devastating terror attacks on September 11, 2001;
Whereas the agency established the Nuclear Security Fund to assist countries in 
        protecting their nuclear and radiological materials and facilities;
Whereas the agency's nuclear security efforts are sustained by its technical 
        expertise, experience, transparency, and confidentiality;
Whereas rogue regimes and clandestine organizations continue to exhibit the 
        ambition to acquire nuclear materials that can be used to build crude 
        radiological and nuclear weapons;
Whereas the IAEA Office of Nuclear Security relies almost exclusively on 
        voluntary funding, which is inherently unpredictable and inconsistent; 
        and
Whereas the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC, issued an Action 
        Plan on April 1, 2016, citing the agency's need for ``reliable and 
        sufficient resources'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) maintains that the International Atomic Energy Agency 
        (IAEA) plays an indispensable role in strengthening nuclear 
        security and safety around the globe;
            (2) reaffirms that the United States has a vital interest 
        in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and securing 
        nuclear materials; and
            (3) encourages the United States and other member states of 
        the IAEA to take steps to ensure that the IAEA has the 
        resources needed to successfully carry out its duties, 
        including--
                    (A) supporting the IAEA to continue convening 
                ministerial meetings on nuclear security to promote 
                political commitment;
                    (B) contributing to the implementation of the 
                IAEA's Nuclear Security Plan through reliable and 
                sufficient resources;
                    (C) providing appropriate political, technical, and 
                financial support to the Nuclear Security Fund; and
                    (D) developing a comprehensive strategy to 
                encourage non-state, private sector contributions to 
                the Nuclear Security Fund.
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