Sponsors (27)
The bill trades stronger near-term and legal limits on U.S. explosive nuclear testing — reducing safety and escalation risks while preserving subcritical research — against reduced full-scale test options that could complicate weapon assurance and modernization and a funding restriction that might be avoidable in future appropriations.
Taxpayers, service members, and the general public face a lower risk of renewed full-scale explosive nuclear testing because the bill bans any explosive nuclear test by the U.S., reducing the chance of environmental harm, accidents, and escalation.
Taxpayers and federal employees gain an added fiscal check because FY2026 (and available) funds are explicitly prevented from being used for explosive nuclear tests, making it harder to resume testing via near-term budget authority.
Weapons lab scientists and military researchers can continue subcritical tests, allowing needed weapons-relevant research and surveillance without full-scale detonations.
Military personnel and defense planners have fewer options for full-scale nuclear test verification, which could reduce confidence in warhead performance and complicate deterrence assessments.
Taxpayers and program managers may face higher costs or constrained timelines for certain modernization programs if those efforts had planned to rely on data from explosive testing, increasing program complexity and expense.
Taxpayers and federal officials face a risk that the FY2026-specific funding restriction is narrow and could be bypassed in later appropriations or structured differently, leaving a potential loophole to resume testing.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Makes explosive nuclear testing unlawful for the U.S., bars FY2026 (and otherwise provided) funds for such tests, and explicitly allows subcritical tests.
Introduced October 31, 2025 by Alice Costandina Titus · Last progress October 31, 2025
Prohibits the United States from conducting any explosive nuclear test or any other nuclear explosion and blocks the use of funds made available for fiscal year 2026 (and funds otherwise made available for any year) to carry out explosive nuclear testing. The measure preserves the United States' ability to conduct subcritical nuclear tests, defining those as tests of fissile materials that cannot produce a sustained nuclear chain reaction.