	Background

Countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of  mass destruction (WMD) remains a U.S. national security priority. As the DSB report  noted, U.S. monitoring abilities are increasingly challenged by evolving  risks in 1) the capability of existing nuclear states and 2) the number of  state and nonstate actors possessing or attempting to possess nuclear  weapons. The Administration’s 2018 Plan Generally Addressed the Reporting Requirements but Did Not Identify Costs and Funding Needs

We found the Administration’s 2018 plan provided details on each of the  four major reporting requirements called for in the fiscal year 2018 NDAA  with the exception of future costs and funding needs (see table 1). We found that the 2018 plan provided detail on verification, detection, and  monitoring requirements and roles and responsibilities, but did not  provide details on future costs and funding needed to support the  activities in the plan. Second, according to NNSA officials, agencies have little  influence over the funding priorities of other departments outside of  existing budget efforts. Instead, the NDAA reporting  requirement called for long-term costs and funding information necessary  to support the verification and monitoring activities in the plan. We have previously reported that providing estimates of future costs and  funding needs can help congressional decisionmakers prioritize projects  and identify long-term funding needs. NNSA as well as other agencies  within the federal government already develop plans with long-term  funding priorities and cost estimates. Because the plan does not include any information on  interagency costs and funding needs, it limits 1) congressional  understanding of the long-term affordability of the nation’s verification and  monitoring efforts and 2) Congress’s ability to make necessary funding  and policy decisions. The  2018 plan provides more detail on these efforts than the 2015 plan and  2017 update. However, the plan does not include estimates of future  costs and funding needs as required by the fiscal year 2018 NDAA. By including in its plan estimates of future  costs and funding needed to support the activities in the plan, NNSA  could help provide assurance that agencies are allocating appropriate  resources to the verification and monitoring effort and interagency  activities, and that these resources are aligned with future activities and  processes. Recommendation for Executive Action

We are making the following recommendation to NNSA:  The Administrator of NNSA should include in its plan for verification and  monitoring estimates of future costs and funding needed to support the  activities in the plan. However, NNSA stated that it planned no  further action with regard to costs and funding data. In its written comments, NNSA acknowledged that it did not  include interagency cost and funding requirements in the 2018 plan over  10 years as required in the NDAA. NNSA stated that it did not have authority to require other agencies to  submit 10-year budget estimates for their efforts that are included in the  plan. We noted in our report that Congress directed the President to  include this element in the nuclear proliferation verification and monitoring  plan.
Why GAO Did This Study

Countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons is a national security priority that is challenged by weapons advances from existing nuclear states and other actors possessing or attempting to possess nuclear weapons. To help address these issues, Congress directed the Administration in 2015 and 2017 to develop a plan for verification and monitoring relating to the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons, components of such weapons, and fissile material. GAO reviewed the first plan submitted to Congress in 2015, and an update submitted in 2017. GAO reported in March 2018 that this plan and update generally did not address the congressionally mandated reporting requirements.
In the fiscal year 2018 NDAA, Congress directed the Administration to develop another plan and included a provision for GAO to review the plan. This report assesses whether the Administration's new plan provided details on the reporting requirements included in the NDAA.
To determine whether the plan provided details on the reporting requirements, GAO reviewed the fiscal year 2018 plan and assessed whether the plan included details for each of the elements as required by the NDAA.

What GAO Found

GAO found that the 2018 plan provided details on most of the reporting requirements in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018, but did not include information on future costs and funding needs (see table below). In the NDAA, Congress directed the President to produce a plan that would address four reporting requirements: (1) a plan and roadmap on verification, detection and monitoring efforts, including details on costs and funding needs over 10 years, (2) an international engagement plan, (3) a research and development plan, and (4) a description of interagency engagement. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within the Department of Energy, developed the plan and submitted it to Congress in April 2018.
According to NNSA officials, NNSA did not include long-term costs and funding needs in the plan because identifying these needs is unrealistic for several reasons, including because agencies have little influence over the spending priorities of other departments outside of the President's budget process. However, NNSA and other agencies already develop plans with long-term funding priorities and cost estimates for other programs. Because the plan does not include any estimates on future costs and funding needs, it limits congressional understanding of the long-term affordability of the nation's verification and monitoring efforts and its ability to make necessary funding and policy decisions. GAO has previously reported that providing estimates of future costs and funding needs can help congressional decisionmakers prioritize projects and identify long-term funding needs. By including in its plan estimates of future costs and funding needed to support the activities in the plan, NNSA could help provide assurance that agencies are allocating appropriate resources to the verification and monitoring effort and that these resources are aligned with future activities and processes.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Administrator of NNSA should include in its plan estimates of future costs and funding needed to support the activities in the plan. NNSA neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendation, but said it planned no further action. GAO maintains that the recommendation is valid.