[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 5, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S4943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 778. Mr. HEINRICH (for himself and Mr. Udall) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2810, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title XXXI, add the following:

     SEC. 3116. PLUTONIUM CAPABILITIES.

       (a) Report.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator for Nuclear Security 
     shall submit to the congressional defense committees and the 
     Secretary of Defense a report on the recommended alternative 
     endorsed by the Administrator for recapitalization of 
     plutonium science and production capabilities of the nuclear 
     security enterprise. The report shall identify the 
     recommended alternative endorsed by the Administrator and 
     contain the analysis of alternatives, including costs, upon 
     which the Administrator relied in making such endorsement.
       (b) Certification.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
     on which the Secretary of Defense receives the report 
     required by subsection (a), the Chairman of the Nuclear 
     Weapons Council shall submit to the congressional defense 
     committees the written certification of the Chairman 
     regarding whether--
       (1) the recommended alternative described in subsection 
     (a)--
       (A) is acceptable to the Secretary of Defense and the 
     Nuclear Weapons Council and meets the requirements of the 
     Secretary for plutonium pit production capacity and 
     capability;
       (B) is likely to meet the pit production timelines and 
     milestones required by section 4219 of the Atomic Energy 
     Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2538a);
       (C) is likely to meet pit production timelines and 
     requirements responsive to military requirements;
       (D) is cost effective and has reasonable near-term and 
     lifecycle costs that are minimized, to the extent 
     practicable, as compared to other alternatives;
       (E) contains minimized and manageable risks as compared to 
     other alternatives; and
       (F) can be acceptably reconciled with any differences in 
     the conclusions made by the Office of Cost Assessment and 
     Program Evaluation of the Department of Defense in the 
     business case analysis of plutonium pit production capability 
     issued in 2013; and
       (2) the Administrator has--
       (A) documented the assumptions and constraints used in the 
     analysis of alternatives described in subsection (a); and
       (B) tested and documented the sensitivity of the cost 
     estimates for each alternative to risks and changes in key 
     assumptions.
       (c) Assessment.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Director of Cost Estimating 
     and Program Evaluation of the National Nuclear Security 
     Administration shall, in consultation with the Director of 
     the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation of the Department 
     of Defense, provide to the congressional defense committees a 
     briefing containing the assessment of the Directors of the 
     analysis of alternatives described in subsection (a).
       (2) Elements.--The briefing required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include--
       (A) descriptions of the scope, risks, and costs for 
     alternatives not considered in the analysis of alternatives 
     that the Directors deem viable; and
       (B) any views of the Administrator regarding such 
     alternatives.
       (d) Review by Comptroller General.--Not later than 60 days 
     after receiving the report required by subsection (a) and the 
     briefing required by subsection (c), the Comptroller General 
     of the United States shall brief the congressional defense 
     committees on--
       (1) the alternatives considered by the Administrator in the 
     analysis of alternatives described in subsection (a) and the 
     alternatives described in subsection (c)(2)(A);
       (2) the accuracy of such alternatives; and
       (3) any other issues the Comptroller General considers 
     relevant.
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