US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

50 U.S.C. § 2315

Testing of preparedness for emergencies involving nuclear, radiological, chemical, and biological weapons

(a)

Emergencies involving nuclear, radiological, chemical, or biological weapons

(1)
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop and carry out a program for testing and improving the responses of Federal, State, and local agencies to emergencies involving nuclear, radiological, biological, and chemical weapons and related materials.
(2)
The program shall include exercises to be carried out in accordance with sections 112(c) and 238(c)(1) of title 6.
(3)
In developing and carrying out the program, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secretary of Energy, and the heads of any other Federal, State, and local government agencies that have an expertise or responsibilities relevant to emergencies described in paragraph (1).
(b)

Annual revisions of programs

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall revise the program developed under subsection (a) not later than June 1 in each fiscal year covered by the program. The revisions shall include adjustments that the Secretary determines necessary or appropriate on the basis of the lessons learned from the exercise or exercises carried out under the program in the fiscal year, including lessons learned regarding coordination problems and equipment deficiencies.

Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XIV, § 1415110 Stat. 2720Pub. L. 107–314, div. C, title XXXI, § 3154(a)116 Stat. 2738Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1032119 Stat. 3428(, , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 109–163, § 1032(a)(1)2006—Subsec. (a). , substituted “nuclear, radiological, chemical, or” for “chemical or” in heading.

Pub. L. 109–163, § 1032(a)(2)Subsec. (a)(1). , substituted “Secretary of Homeland Security” for “Secretary of Defense” and “nuclear, radiological, biological, and” for “biological weapons and related materials and emergencies involving”.

Pub. L. 109–163, § 1032(a)(3)Subsec. (a)(2). , substituted “in accordance with sections 112(c) and 238(c)(1) of title 6” for “during each of fiscal years 1997 through 2013”.

Pub. L. 109–163, § 1032(a)(4)Subsec. (a)(3). , inserted “the Secretary of Defense,” before “the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation” and struck out “the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” before “the Secretary of Energy,”.

Pub. L. 109–163, § 1032(b)Subsecs. (b), (c). , (c), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b), substituted “The Secretary of Homeland Security shall revise the program developed under subsection (a)” for “The official responsible for carrying out a program developed under subsection (a) or (b) shall revise the program” in first sentence and “the Secretary” for “the official” in second sentence, and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (b) which related to emergencies involving nuclear and radiological weapons.

Pub. L. 109–163, § 1032(d)Subsecs. (d), (e). , struck out heading and text of subsecs. (d) and (e) which related to option to transfer responsibility for programs under this section and to funding, respectively.

Pub. L. 107–3142002—Subsecs. (a)(2), (b)(2). substituted “of fiscal years 1997 through 2013” for “of five successive fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 1997”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Construction of Extension With Designation of Attorney General as Lead Official

Pub. L. 107–314, div. C, title XXXI, § 3154(b)116 Stat. 2738

50 U.S.C. 231250 U.S.C. 2315“The amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section] may not be construed as modifying the designation of the President titled ‘Designation of the Attorney General as the Lead Official for the Emergency Response Assistance Program Under Sections 1412 and 1415 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997’, dated , designating the Attorney General to assume programmatic and funding responsibilities for the Emergency Response Assistance Program under sections 1412 [former ] and 1415 [] of the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 1996 (title XIV of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997).”
, , , provided that: