50 USC 3057 - National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center

U.S Code last checked for updates: Apr 18, 2024

§ 3057.

National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center

(a)

Establishment

(1)

The President shall establish a National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center, taking into account all appropriate government tools to—

(A)

prevent and halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials and technologies; and

(B)

lead integration and mission management of all intelligence activities pertaining to biosecurity and foreign biological threats.

(2)

The head of the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center shall be the Director of the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center, who shall be appointed by the Director of National Intelligence.

(3)

The National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center shall be located within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

(4)

The Director of the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center shall serve as the principal coordinator for the intelligence community, and as the principal advisor to the Director of National Intelligence, with respect to biosecurity and foreign biological threats.

(b)

Missions and objectives

(1)

Counterproliferation

In establishing the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center, the President shall address the following missions and objectives to prevent and halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials and technologies:

(A)

Establishing a primary organization within the United States Government for analyzing and integrating all intelligence possessed or acquired by the United States pertaining to proliferation.

(B)

Ensuring that appropriate agencies have full access to and receive all-source intelligence support needed to execute their counterproliferation plans or activities, and perform independent, alternative analyses.

(C)

Establishing a central repository on known and suspected proliferation activities, including the goals, strategies, capabilities, networks, and any individuals, groups, or entities engaged in proliferation.

(D)

Disseminating proliferation information, including proliferation threats and analyses, to the President, to the appropriate departments and agencies, and to the appropriate committees of Congress.

(E)

Conducting net assessments and warnings about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials and technologies.

(F)

Coordinating counterproliferation plans and activities of the various departments and agencies of the United States Government to prevent and halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials and technologies.

(G)

Conducting strategic operational counterproliferation planning for the United States Government to prevent and halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials and technologies.

(2)

Biosecurity

In establishing the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center, the President shall address the following missions and objectives to ensure that the Center serves as the lead for the intelligence community for the integration, mission management, and coordination of intelligence activities pertaining to biosecurity and foreign biological threats, regardless of origin:

(A)

Ensuring that the elements of the intelligence community provide timely and effective warnings to the President and the Director of National Intelligence regarding emerging foreign biological threats, including diseases with pandemic potential.

(B)

Overseeing and coordinating the collection and analysis of intelligence on biosecurity and foreign biological threats in support of the intelligence needs of the Federal departments and agencies responsible for public health, including by conveying collection priorities to elements of the intelligence community.

(C)

Coordinating intelligence support to the Federal departments and agencies responsible for public health, including by ensuring that intelligence pertaining to biosecurity and foreign biological threats is disseminated among appropriately cleared personnel of such departments and agencies.

(D)

Coordinating with the Federal departments and agencies responsible for public health to encourage information sharing with the intelligence community.

(E)

Identifying gaps in the capabilities of the intelligence community regarding biosecurity and countering foreign biological threats and providing to the Director of National Intelligence recommended solutions for such gaps, including by encouraging research and development of new capabilities to counter foreign biological threats.

(c)

National security waiver

The President may waive the requirements of this section, and any parts thereof, if the President determines that such requirements do not materially improve the ability of the United States Government to prevent and halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials and technologies. Such waiver shall be made in writing to Congress and shall include a description of how the missions and objectives in subsection (b) are being met.

(d)

Report to Congress

(1)

Not later than nine months after the implementation of this chapter, the President shall submit to Congress, in classified form if necessary, the findings and recommendations of the President’s Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction established by Executive Order in February 2004, together with the views of the President regarding the establishment of a National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center.

(2)

If the President decides not to exercise the waiver authority granted by subsection (c), the President shall submit to Congress from time to time updates and plans regarding the establishment of a National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center.

(e)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that a central feature of counterproliferation activities, consistent with the President’s Proliferation Security Initiative, should include the physical interdiction, by air, sea, or land, of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials and technologies, and enhanced law enforcement activities to identify and disrupt proliferation networks, activities, organizations, and persons.

(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title I, § 119A, as added Pub. L. 108–458, title I, § 1022, Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3675; amended Pub. L. 111–259, title IV, § 407(a), Oct. 7, 2010, 124 Stat. 2721; Pub. L. 117–103, div. X, title IV, § 401(a)–(d), Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 973, 974.)

cite as: 50 USC 3057