Energy and Water Development
April 18, 2024
Appropriations for Defense Nuclear
Mary Beth D. Nikitin
Nonproliferation: In Brief
Specialist in
Nonproliferation
The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) nonproliferation and national security programs
provide technical capabilities to support U.S. efforts to reduce the threat of nuclear
weapons proliferation and nuclear terrorism. These programs are administered by the
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency established within DOE in 2000.
NNSA is responsible for maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, providing nuclear fuel to the Navy,
nuclear and radiological emergency response, and nuclear nonproliferation activities.
This report gives an overview of annual appropriations for the DOE NNSA Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
(DNN) account. The National Defense Authorization Act authorizes these programs, for which funds are
appropriated in the annual Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The FY2025 DOE request for DNN
appropriations was $2.47 billion, a decrease of 4.5% from the FY2024-enacted level, which was $2.58 billion.
Energy and Water Development FY2024 appropriations for these programs were enacted as part of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42).
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Energy & Water Development Appropriations for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Budget Structure .............................................................................................................................. 1
FY2025 Request .............................................................................................................................. 2
FY2024 Appropriations ................................................................................................................... 3
Supplemental Requests .................................................................................................................... 3
Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program ......................................................................................... 4
Tables
Table 1. DOE Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Appropriation, FY2023-FY2025 ....................... 2
Contacts
Author Information .......................................................................................................................... 5
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Energy & Water Development Appropriations for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
Introduction
The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) nonproliferation and national security programs provide
technical capabilities to support U.S. efforts to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation
and nuclear terrorism. These programs are administered by the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency established within DOE in 2000. NNSA is
responsible for maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, providing nuclear reactors and
fuel to the Navy, nuclear and radiological emergency response, and nuclear nonproliferation
activities.
In Secretary Granholm’s 2024 testimony to Congress, she says the NNSA’s DNN budget proposal
would
enhance the Nation’s ability to prevent adversaries from acquiring nuclear weapons or
weapons-usable materials, technology, and expertise; counter efforts to acquire such
weapons or materials; and respond to nuclear or radiological incidents and accidents
domestically and abroad. By limiting the number of nuclear-capable states and preventing
terrorist access to materials and technology that can threaten the U.S. and allies, NNSA
plays a critical role in enhancing global stability and constrains the range of potential
threats facing the nation, our allies, and partners.1
This report gives an overview of annual appropriations for the DOE NNSA Defense Nuclear
Nonproliferation (DNN) account. The National Defense Authorization Act2 authorizes these
programs
, for which funds are appropriated in the annual Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
Budget Structure
There are two main mission areas under the DNN appropriation: the Defense Nuclear
Nonproliferation Program and the Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response Program
(NCTIR).3 The FY2025 DNN request is divided into the following functional areas:
•
Material Management and Minimization (M3) conducts activities to reduce
and, where possible, eliminate stockpiles of weapons-useable material around the
world. Major activities include conversion of reactors that use highly enriched
uranium (useable for weapons) to low enriched uranium, removal and
consolidation of nuclear material stockpiles, and disposition of excess nuclear
materials such as excess U.S. weapons plutonium.
•
Global Material Security (GMS) has three major program elements:
international nuclear security, radiological security, and nuclear smuggling
detection and deterrence. Activities toward achieving those goals include the
provision of equipment and training, workshops and exercises, and collaboration
with international organizations.
•
Nonproliferation and Arms Control (NPAC) implements programs that aim to
strengthen international nuclear safeguards, control the spread of dual-use
1 United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Testimony before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources, April 16, 2024.
2 P.L. 118-31.
3 The DNN programs were reorganized starting with the FY2016 request. NCTIR was previously funded under
Weapons Activities. There are three offices under the DNN appropriations: Office of DNN, Office of Counterterrorism
and Counterproliferation (CTCP), and Office of Emergency Operations (EO).
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Energy & Water Development Appropriations for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
(weapons or peaceful applications) technologies and expertise, and verify nuclear
reductions and compliance with treaties and agreements. This program conducts
reviews of nuclear export applications and technology transfer authorizations.
•
Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D)
advances U.S. capabilities to detect and characterize global nuclear security
threats such as foreign nuclear material and weapons production, diversion of
special nuclear material, and nuclear detonations.
• The
Nonproliferation Construction program disposes of excess U.S. weapons
plutonium through a “dilute and dispose” strategy (see
“Surplus Plutonium
Disposition Program” below).
• The
Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response Program (NCTIR)
evaluates nuclear and radiological threats and develops emergency preparedness
plans, including organizing scientific teams to provide rapid response to nuclear
or radiological incidents or accidents worldwide.
Table 1. DOE Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Appropriation, FY2023-FY2025
($ thousands)
FY2023
FY2024
FY2025
Enacted
Enacted
Request
Material Management and
Minimization
464,285
496,025
377,097
Global Material Security
532,763
524,048
543,864
Nonproliferation and Arms
Control
230,656
212,358
224,980
Defense Nuclear
Nonproliferation R&D
767,902
765,750
802,850
NNSA Bioassurance Program
20,000
0
0
Nonproliferation
Construction
71,764
77,211
40,000
Nuclear Counterterrorism &
469,970
503,021
536,189
Incident Response
Legacy Contractor Pensions
55,708
22,587
7,128
Use of Prior Year Balances
-123,048
-20,000
-67,000
Total
2,490,000
2,581,000
2,465,108
Source: Department of Energy Congressional Budget Requests, Volume 1.
FY2025 Request
The FY2025 DOE request for DNN appropriations was $2.47 billion, a decrease of 4.5% from the
FY2024-enacted level. The DOE congressional budget request attributes this change mainly to
“reduced programmatic requirements in Material Management and Minimization, as well as the
use of carryover for FY 2025 scope in the Surplus Plutonium Disposition project and Legacy
Contractor Pensions and Settlement Payments.”
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Energy & Water Development Appropriations for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
The budget justification document also says increases are requested for “Red Teaming
capabilities for a wide range of open-source and industry Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, for
the establishment of the Space Monitoring and Verification Program (Space MVP) to support the
Outer Space Treaty, and to increase outreach to high-priority partners in Southeast Asia to address
smuggling vulnerabilities and counter Chinese influence.”
DOE did not request funding for the NNSA Bioassurance program in the FY2025 request. The
Bioassurance Program
was funded at $20 million in FY2023, and $25 million was requested for
FY2024. Program goals were to expand DOE’s role in biodefense and develop national laboratory
capabilities “to anticipate, detect, assess, and mitigate emerging biothreats.” Section 3122 of the
FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 118-31) placed prohibitions on establishing
this program within NNSA.4
FY2024 Appropriations
FY2024 Energy and Water Development appropriations provided $2.58 billion for these
programs, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42). The
FY2024 request for DNN appropriations was $2.51 billion, an increase of 0.8% over the FY2023-
enacted level. The DOE congressional budget justification attributes this change mainly to
increases for the Nuclear Counterterrorism program, to improve the Nuclear Incident Response
(NIR)/Nuclear Emergency Support Team’s (NEST’s) “capacity for emergency response and
interagency partner technical training” and for National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF), to
“bridge a long-standing gap between research and development activities geared toward
technology transition and operational capabilities.”
Recent years’ appropriations prohibit funds in the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account
from being used for certain activities and assistance in the Russian Federation. Appropriations
bills have prohibited this since FY2015, although a waiver is allowed.5
Supplemental Requests
Senate-passed (H.R. 815) and House (H.R. 8035) versions of FY2024 supplemental
appropriations would provide NNSA with $149 million to “respond to the security situation in
Ukraine.” The FY2023 Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act provided $35 million for
NNSA support for Ukraine, and the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act
provided $126.3, totaling $161.3. The FY2025 congressional budget justification says DNN
subprograms’ FY2023 accomplishments in Ukraine included the following:
• “Bolstered the resilience of nuclear power plants in Ukraine by providing
physical protection and cyber security upgrades and provided equipment to the
National Guard of Ukraine to strengthen their capability to protect nuclear power
plants.”
• “Provided equipment, training, and technical assistance to partners in Ukraine to
secure and monitor 36 facilities housing high-activity radioactive sources.
4 “The Administrator may not establish, administer, manage, or facilitate a program within the Administration for the
purposes of executing an enduring national security research and development effort to broaden the role of the
Department of Energy in national biodefense.” See Section 3122, FY2024 NDAA and related report language.
5 See the 2017 version of this report for more detailed background information.
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Energy & Water Development Appropriations for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
Removed five disused sources from medical facilities to secure storage facilities
in Ukraine.”
• “Deployed additional equipment and associated training to border security, law
enforcement, and emergency agencies across Ukraine to detect and deter illicit
movement of materials and ... monitor for radiation release within Ukraine.”6
Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program
The United States pledged to dispose of 34 metric tons of U.S. surplus weapons plutonium, which
was originally to be converted into fuel for commercial power reactors.7 The U.S. facility for this
purpose was to be the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF), which had been under
construction at the DOE Savannah River site in South Carolina. The MFFF faced sharply
escalating construction and operation cost estimates, and the Obama Administration proposed to
terminate it in FY2017. After congressional approval, in 2018 DOE ended MFFF construction
and began pursuing a replacement disposal method, Dilute and Dispose (D&D), for this material.
This effort is called the Surplus Plutonium Disposition (SPD) Program.
The D&D method consists of “blending plutonium with an inert mixture, packaging it for safe
storage and transport, and disposing of it in a geologic repository,” according to the FY2024
request. Under the D&D method, plutonium is down-blended at Savannah River then shipped as
transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico.
The FY2025 budget request provides for plutonium disposition related activities in the Material
Management and Minimization (Material Disposition subprogram) and the Nonproliferation
Construction accounts. The FY2025 budget request said the SPD project “will add glovebox
capacity at the Savannah River Site to accelerate plutonium dilution and aid in the removal of
plutonium from the state of South Carolina.” In the coming years, NNSA plans to expand
capability to disassemble and convert plutonium cores or “pits” for disposal. The FY2025 request
says NNSA is completing the final design review to request approval and start full construction
on the SPD project, which represents a delay and cost increase. The FY2024 request said the
NNSA is “increasing the total project cost by $155 million resulting in a corresponding increase
to the high-end of the cost range which is $775 million” and extending the completion date to the
fourth quarter of FY2030. The budget request says that these changes are necessary due to design,
safety, and construction challenges “of integrating the new mission into the exisiting facility and
operations.” It also cited a lack of skilled professional and craft labor, which is also an issue for
other NNSA construction projects.
6 FY 2025 Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Congressional Budget Justification,
Volume 1.
7 Disposition of surplus plutonium is required by a 1998 agreement, amended in 2010, between the United States and
the Russian Federation. Each country agreed to convert 34 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium to a form
that could not be returned to nuclear weapons, to begin in 2018. Russia suspended its participation in the agreement in
October 2016 due to what it called “hostile actions” by the United States. Both countries appear to be continuing their
plans for surplus plutonium disposition. See CRS Report R43125,
Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Plant and Plutonium
Disposition: Management and Policy Issues, by Mark Holt and Mary Beth D. Nikitin.
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Energy & Water Development Appropriations for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
Author Information
Mary Beth D. Nikitin
Specialist in Nonproliferation
Disclaimer
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Congressional Research Service
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