§6266. Notification of nuclear criticality and non-nuclear incidents

(a) Notification.-The Secretary of Energy or the Administrator, as the case may be, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a notification of a nuclear criticality incident resulting from a covered program that results in an injury or fatality or results in the shutdown, or partial shutdown, of a covered facility by not later than 15 days after the date of such incident.

(b) Elements of Notification.-Each notification submitted under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) A description of the incident, including the cause of the incident.

(2) In the case of a criticality incident, whether the incident caused a facility, or part of a facility, to be shut down.

(3) The effect, if any, on the mission of the Administration or the Office of Environmental Management of the Department of Energy.

(4) Any corrective action taken in response to the incident.

(c) Database.-(1) The Secretary shall maintain a record of incidents described in paragraph (2).

(2) An incident described in this paragraph is any of the following incidents resulting from a covered program:

(A) A nuclear criticality incident that results in an injury or fatality or results in the shutdown, or partial shutdown, of a covered facility.

(B) A non-nuclear incident that results in serious bodily injury or fatality at a covered facility.

(d) Cooperation.-In carrying out this section, the Secretary and the Administrator shall ensure that each management and operating contractor of a covered facility cooperates in a timely manner.

(e) Definitions.-In this section:

(1) The term "appropriate congressional committees" means-

(A) the congressional defense committees; and

(B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

(2) The term "covered facility" means-

(A) a facility of the nuclear security enterprise; and

(B) a facility conducting activities for the defense environmental cleanup program of the Office of Environmental Management of the Department of Energy.

(3) The term "covered program" means-

(A) programs of the Administration; and

(B) defense environmental cleanup programs of the Office of Environmental Management of the Department of Energy.

(Added and amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. C, title XXXI, §3111(a), (d)(2)(B), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1424 , 1462.)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2736 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.