# § 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.
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**Source Credit**: (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 , War and National Defense, prior to repeal by .
### Amendments
2025—, realigned margins.