10 USC § 496 - Consideration of expansion of nuclear forces of other countries

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s496"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 496 - Consideration of expansion of nuclear forces of other countries"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "496"
section_name: "Consideration of expansion of nuclear forces of other countries"
chapter_number: 24
chapter_name: "NUCLEAR POSTURE"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1036(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1924; amended Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(c)(10), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3509.)"
---


# § 496. Consideration of expansion of nuclear forces of other countries

**(a)** **Report and Certification.—** Not later than 60 days before the President recommends any reductions to the nuclear forces of the United States—

**(1)** the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing, for each country with nuclear weapons, the high-, medium-, and low- confidence assessment of the intelligence community (as defined in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4))) with respect to—

**(A)** the number of each type of nuclear weapons possessed by such country;

**(B)** the modernization plans for such weapons of such country;

**(C)** the production capacity of nuclear warheads and strategic delivery systems (as defined in section 495(e)(2) of this title) of such country;

**(D)** the nuclear doctrine of such country; and

**(E)** the impact of such recommended reductions on the deterrence and extended deterrence capabilities of the United States; and

**(2)** the Commander of the United States Strategic Command shall certify to the appropriate congressional committees whether such recommended reductions in the nuclear forces of the United States will—

**(A)** impair the ability of the United States to address—

**(i)** unplanned strategic or geopolitical events; or

**(ii)** technical challenge; or

**(B)** degrade the deterrence or assurance provided by the United States to friends and allies of the United States.

**(b)** **Form.—** The reports required by subsection (a)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

**(c)** **Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.—** In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means the following:

**(1)** The congressional defense committees.

**(2)** The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1036(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1924; amended Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(c)(10), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3509.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a)(1).  substituted “()” for “()” in introductory provisions.