§2286c Responsibilities of Secretary of Energy

Summary

Unless the law allows otherwise, the Secretary of Energy must fully cooperate with the Board and give it quick, open access to Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities, staff, and information the Board needs. Contractors who run those DOE defense nuclear facilities must also cooperate under their contracts or with their consent. Access must be provided regardless of the hazard or risk level the Secretary assigned to a facility. The Secretary may only refuse access to someone who does not have the right security clearance or who does not need the information for their job. If the Board asks in writing and access is denied, the Secretary must tell the Board in writing. By January 1 and July 1 of each year beginning in 2020, the Board must report denied written requests from the previous six months to the congressional defense committees, and the Secretary must report each denial and the reason. The term "congressional defense committees" is defined in Title 10, section 101(a). The Board must not publicly release information that the law protects from disclosure, including deliberative process information.