10 U.S.C. § 6120: Requirements for specific…

§6120 Requirements for Specific Request for New or Modified Nuclear Weapons

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART VI — ELEMENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND OTHER MATTERS › Subpart B — Atomic Energy Defense › CHAPTER 602 — NUCLEAR WEAPONS STOCKPILE MATTERS › SUBCHAPTER I — STOCKPILE STEWARDSHIP AND WEAPONS PRODUCTION › § 6120

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires the Secretary of Energy to ask for money in the President’s budget for any year after fiscal year 2002 when planning research, engineering, or manufacturing work on a new or modified nuclear weapon past phase 2 or phase 6.2 of the acquisition process. The work can only happen if Congress authorizes and funds it. The budget request must show a separate line item for each of those activities for any weapon at or beyond those phases. Starting after fiscal year 2022, when sending the President’s budget to Congress, the Secretary (through the Administrator) must tell the congressional defense committees about any such work that was done before phase 2 or phase 6.2 in the prior calendar year and about any plans to do that kind of early work in the coming fiscal year. Definitions: a “modified nuclear weapon” uses a pit or canned subassembly that was in the stockpile on December 2, 2002 but is being changed for a new military need; a “new nuclear weapon” uses a pit or canned subassembly that was not in the stockpile or in production on December 2, 2002.

Title 10, §6120

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Requirement for Request for Funds for Development.—

(1)In any fiscal year after fiscal year 2002 in which the Secretary of Energy plans to carry out activities described in paragraph (2) relating to the development of a new nuclear weapon or modified nuclear weapon beyond phase 2 or phase 6.2 (as the case may be) of the nuclear weapon acquisition process, the Secretary—

(A)shall specifically request funds for such activities in the budget of the President for that fiscal year under section 1105(a) of title 31; and

(B)may carry out such activities only if amounts are authorized to be appropriated for such activities by an Act of Congress consistent with section 660 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7270).

(2)The activities described in this paragraph are as follows:

(A)The conduct, or provision for conduct, of research and development for the production of a new nuclear weapon by the United States.

(B)The conduct, or provision for conduct, of engineering or manufacturing to carry out the production of a new nuclear weapon by the United States.

(C)The conduct, or provision for conduct, of research and development for the production of a modified nuclear weapon by the United States.

(D)The conduct, or provision for conduct, of engineering or manufacturing to carry out the production of a modified nuclear weapon by the United States.

(b)Budget Request Format.—

In a request for funds under subsection (a), the Secretary shall include a dedicated line item for each activity described in subsection (a)(2) for a new nuclear weapon or modified nuclear weapon that is in phase 2 or higher or phase 6.2 or higher (as the case may be) of the nuclear weapon acquisition process.

(c)Notification and Briefing of Noncovered Activities.—

In any fiscal year after fiscal year 2022, the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Administrator, in conjunction with the annual submission of the budget of the President to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, shall notify the congressional defense committees of— (1)

(2)any plans to carry out, prior to phase 2 or phase 6.2 (as the case may be) of the nuclear weapon acquisition process, activities described in subsection (a)(2) relating to the development of a new nuclear weapon or modified nuclear weapon during the fiscal year covered by that budget.

(d)Definitions.—

In this section: (1)

(2)The term “new nuclear weapon” means a nuclear weapon that contains a pit or canned subassembly, either of which is neither—

(A)in the nuclear weapons stockpile on December 2, 2002; nor

(B)in production as of that date.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2529 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(b)(1).

Amendments

2025—Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(d)(2)(B), realigned margins.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Development of Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons; Authorization and Limitation Pub. L. 115–232, div. C, title XXXI, § 3111(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2289, provided that: “The Secretary of Energy, acting through the Administrator for Nuclear Security, may carry out the engineering development phase, and any subsequent phase, to modify or develop a low-yield nuclear warhead for submarine-launched ballistic missiles.” Pub. L. 108–136, div. C, title XXXI, § 3116(c), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1746, as amended by Pub. L. 115–232, div. C, title XXXI, § 3111(b), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2289; Pub. L. 119–60, div. C, title XXXI, § 3111(c)(2)(I), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1461, provided that: “The Secretary of Energy may not commence the engineering development phase, or any subsequent phase, of a low-yield nuclear weapon unless the Secretary specifically requests funding for the development of that weapon pursuant to section 6120 of title 10, United States Code.”