Nuclear weapons proliferation reporting requirements examined

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently conducted a nuclear proliferation reporting analysis, determining the documents did not address several requirements and lacked vital details.

The work stemmed from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015, which included a provision directing the president to submit to specified congressional committees an interagency plan for verification and monitoring of the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons, components of such weapons and fissile material.

The NDAA provision called for an interagency plan and roadmap for verification and monitoring, with regard to policy, operations, and research, development, testing, and evaluation as well as an engagement plan for building cooperation and transparency to improve inspections and monitoring. It also required a research and development program to enhance control, detection and in-field inspection and analysis capabilities, and engagement of relevant departments and agencies of the federal government and the military departments, national laboratories, industry, and academia.

GAO officials said they learned the 2015 plan and the 2017 update generally did not address the four reporting requirements, noting neither the 2015 plan nor the 2017 update addressed the reporting requirement on an interagency plan and roadmap for verification and monitoring. Additionally, neither the plan nor the update addressed the reporting requirement on a specific engagement plan for improving inspections and monitoring, and neither addressed the reporting requirement on a research and development program to improve monitoring, detection, and inspection.