U.S. Nonproliferation Programs in Russia: Summary of Important Legislation
On November 14, 2001, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously passed an unnumbered bill, the Security Assistance Act of 2001, that contained two important pieces of legislation relevant to U.S.-Russian cooperative security efforts: the Debt Reduction for Nonproliferation Act of 2001 and the Nonproliferation Assistance Coordination Act of 2001. The bill has yet to be submitted for consideration by the full Senate.
The relevant legislation is summarized below, along with two additional bills that have been referred to committee.
DEBT REDUCTION FOR NONPROLIFERATION ACT OF 2001
The bill would allow the U.S. to relieve portions of Russia’s debt in exchange for Russian commitments to use the savings to support nonproliferation activities, such as efforts to improve the physical security and dispose of weapons-usable materials.
Status: Added to the unnumbered Security Assistance Act of 2001, passed unanimously by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 14, 2001.
NONPROLIFERATION ASSISTANCE COORDINATION ACT OF 2001 (S. 673)
The bill establishes a “Committee on Nonproliferation Assistance to the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union,” comprised of representatives from the Departments of Defense, Energy, State, Commerce, and the office of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. The committee’s primary duties will be to monitor and coordinate U.S. nonproliferation efforts in the former Soviet Union.
Sponsor: Sen. Hagel (R-NE) Cosponsors: Sens. Biden (D-DE), Feingold (D-WI), Domenici (R-NM), Lugar (R-IN)
Status: Referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation, and Federal Services. Added to unnumbered Security Assistance Act of 2001, passed unanimously by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 14, 2001.
Complete text of bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:S.673:
RUSSIAN FISSILE MATERIALS DISPOSITION LOAN GUARANTEE ACT OF 2001(H.R. 3290, S. 1277)
Under the legislation, the Secretary of Energy may, with the approval of the President, federally guarantee loans made to Russia for the purposes of retiring Russian debt, supporting nuclear nonproliferation activities, or developing energy infrastructure including peaceful uses of nuclear energy. For each $20 million loan increment, Russia must place one metric ton of weapons- usable plutonium and one metric ton of highly enriched uranium under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards at a mutually acceptable facility. Loan guarantees would not apply to fissile materials or activities covered under the Plutonium Disposition Agreement, including mixed-oxide fuel development.
Sponsor: Sen. Domenici (R-NM) Cosponsor: Sen. Lugar (R-IN)
Status: Referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Complete text of bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:S.1277:
NUCLEAR THREAT REDUCTION ACT OF 2001 (H.R. 2351, S. 1117)
This legislation makes it the policy of the United States “to reduce the number of nuclear warheads and nuclear weapons delivery systems of the United States and Russia, through bilateral agreements between the United States and Russia, to the lowest possible number consistent with the security of the United States.” The bill would also make it U.S. policy to work with Russia to remove as many nuclear weapons as possible from high-alert status, and would authorize a total of $2 billion in fiscal year 2002 for cooperative threat reduction and other nonproliferation programs in Russia carried out by the Departments of Defense, Energy, and State. Finally, the bill would require the President to submit to Congress a plan to secure and neutralize over the next eight years all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable nuclear material in Russia and to prevent the outflow from Russia of scientific expertise that could be used for developing nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.
Sponsors: Sen. Landrieu (D-LA); Rep. Spratt (D-SC), Rep. Tauscher (D-CA)
Status: Referred to Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Armed Services Committee, and House Committee on International Relations
Complete text of bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:S.1117:
Contact: Steve LaMontagne (202) 543-4100 ×100