Akaka: Legislation to Advance U.S. & International Nuclear Nonproliferation

October 27, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) today introduced the Strengthening the Oversight of Nuclear Nonproliferation (SOONN) Act of 2009 to further U.S. and international efforts to prevent the spread of dangerous nuclear materials.

Senator Akaka said: "Nuclear weapon proliferation is among the most critical threats to international security today. This bill will support improvements to U.S. and international efforts to confront this threat."

Article continues below...

The SOONN Act calls for a recurring annual report on U.S. nonproliferation activities. This report will detail:

* U.S. spending in support of civilian nuclear programs abroad,
* reductions in the use of highly enriched uranium,
* actions to implement an international energy development program,
* steps taken to improve security at civilian nuclear facilities, and
* the outcome of a U.S. assessment of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) ability to detect military transfers of dangerous nuclear materials.

The bill also calls for a one-time report on U.S. efforts to coordinate with the IAEA to improve international nonproliferation capabilities. The report will detail progress in:

* changes to IAEA's funding for inspections,
* determining IAEA's ability to meet its inspection goals,
* more widely implementing near-real-time surveillance at sensitive sites, and
* requiring advance notice on international transfers of dual-use nuclear technology.

Source: Senator Daniel K. Akaka