§6121 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

§6121 Testing of nuclear weapons

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART VI— - ELEMENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND OTHER MATTERS › Subpart Subpart B— - Atomic Energy Defense › Chapter CHAPTER 602— - NUCLEAR WEAPONS STOCKPILE MATTERS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - STOCKPILE STEWARDSHIP AND WEAPONS PRODUCTION › § 6121

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States must not carry out underground nuclear weapon tests after September 30, 1996. If another country conducts a nuclear test after that date, the ban on U.S. underground testing ends. No money from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (Public Law 103–160; 107 Stat. 1547) or from any other law in any year may be used to keep the U.S. ability to do atmospheric nuclear testing.

Title 10, §6121

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)No underground test of nuclear weapons may be conducted by the United States after September 30, 1996, unless a foreign state conducts a nuclear test after this date, at which time the prohibition on United States nuclear testing is lifted.

(b)None of the funds appropriated pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (Public Law 103–160; 107 Stat. 1547) or any other Act for any fiscal year may be available to maintain the capability of the United States to conduct atmospheric testing of a nuclear weapon.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 103–160, Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1547. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2530 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(b)(1).