50 U.S.C. § 3712: Use of funds for certain…

Summary

The Secretary of Defense may use Cooperative Threat Reduction funds for a project that cuts the spread of dangerous weapons or takes a chance to meet long-standing nonproliferation goals, using money for the current fiscal year or leftover funds from past years. The Defense Secretary and the Secretary of State must both agree that the project will (1) help stop a critical new proliferation threat or advance a long-term nonproliferation goal, (2) finish within 5 years, and (3) be best handled by the Department of Defense. At least 15 days before the money is committed, the Defense Secretary must tell the congressional defense committees in writing, and the Secretary of State must tell the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They must explain why, describe the project and its length, and say whether other legal authorities could be used and why those were not used. For military-to-military or defense contacts, State approval is only needed when foreign participants come from non-defense agencies. The decision rules above do not apply to a state of the former Soviet Union.

Title 50, §3712

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(a)Authority

For purposes of the Program, the Secretary of Defense may obligate and expend Cooperative Threat Reduction funds for a fiscal year, and any Cooperative Threat Reduction funds for a prior fiscal year that remain available for obligation, for a proliferation threat reduction project or activity if the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, determines each of the following:

(1)That such project or activity will—

(A)assist the United States in the resolution of a critical emerging proliferation threat; or

(B)permit the United States to take advantage of opportunities to achieve long-standing nonproliferation goals.

(2)That such project or activity will be completed in a period not exceeding five years.

(3)That the Department of Defense is the entity of the Federal Government that is most capable of carrying out such project or activity.

(b)Congressional notification

Not later than 15 days before the date on which the Secretary obligates funds under subsection (a) for a project or activity, the Secretary of Defense shall notify, in writing, the congressional defense committees and the Secretary of State shall notify, in writing, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate of the determinations made under such subsection with respect to such project or activity, together with—

(1)a justification for such determinations;

(2)a description of the scope and duration of such project or activity; and

(3)a discussion of—

(A)whether authorities other than the authority under this section are available to the Secretaries to perform such project or activity to meet the threats or goals identified under subsection (a)(1); and

(B)if such other authorities exist, why the Secretaries were not able to use such authorities for such project or activity.

(c)Non-defense agency partner-nation contacts

With respect to military-to-military and defense contacts carried out under subsection (a)(6) of section 3711 of this title, as further described in subsection (f) of such section, concurrence of the Secretary of State under subsection (a) is required only for participation in such contacts by personnel from non-defense agencies of foreign countries.

(d)Exception to requirement for certain determinations

The requirement for a determination under subsection (a) shall not apply to a state of the former Soviet Union.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2016—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–328 substituted “Not later than 15 days before the date on which” for “At the time at which” in introductory provisions and added par. (3).

§3712 Use of Funds for Certain Emergent Threats or Opportunities

Summary

Title 50, §3712

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

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