§ 496. Consideration of expansion of nuclear forces of other countries

(a)Report and Certification.— Not later than 60 days before the President recommends any reductions to the nuclear forces of the United States—

(1) the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing, for each country with nuclear weapons, the high-, medium-, and low- confidence assessment of the intelligence community (as defined in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401a(4))) with respect to—

(A) the number of each type of nuclear weapons possessed by such country;

(B) the modernization plans for such weapons of such country;

(C) the production capacity of nuclear warheads and strategic delivery systems (as defined in section 495(e)(2) of this title) of such country;

(D) the nuclear doctrine of such country; and

(E) the impact of such recommended reductions on the deterrence and extended deterrence capabilities of the United States; and

(2) the Commander of the United States Strategic Command shall certify to the appropriate congressional committees whether such recommended reductions in the nuclear forces of the United States will—

(A) impair the ability of the United States to address—

(i) unplanned strategic or geopolitical events; or

(ii) technical challenge; or

(B) degrade the deterrence or assurance provided by the United States to friends and allies of the United States.

(b)Form.— The reports required by subsection (a)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

(c)Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.— In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means the following:

(1) The congressional defense committees.

(2) The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

(Added Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1036(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1924.)