((a)) ** Cooperation** Except as specifically provided by this section, the Secretary of Energy shall fully cooperate with the Board and provide the Board with prompt and unfettered access to such facilities, personnel, and information as the Board considers necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this subchapter. Each contractor operating a Department of Energy defense nuclear facility under a contract awarded by the Secretary shall, to the extent provided in such contract or otherwise with the contractor’s consent, fully cooperate with the Board and provide the Board with prompt and unfettered access to such facilities, personnel, and information of the contractor as the Board considers necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this subchapter. The access provided to defense nuclear facilities, personnel, and information under this subsection shall be provided without regard to the hazard or risk category assigned to a facility by the Secretary.

((b)) ** Authority of Secretary to deny information**

((1)) The Secretary may deny access to information under subsection (a) only to any person who—

((A)) has not been granted an appropriate security clearance or access authorization by the Secretary; or

((B)) does not need such access in connection with the duties of such person.

((2)) If the Board requests access to information under subsection (a) in written form, and the Secretary denies access to such information pursuant to paragraph (1)—

((A)) the Secretary shall provide the Board notice of such denial in written form; and

((B)) not later than January 1 and July 1 of each year beginning in 2020—

((i)) the Board shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report identifying each request for access to information under subsection (a) submitted to the Secretary in written form during the preceding six-month period and denied by the Secretary; and

((ii)) the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report identifying—

((I)) each such request denied by the Secretary during that period; and

((II)) the reason for the denial.

((3)) In this subsection, the term “congressional defense committees” has the meaning given that term in .

((c)) ** Application of nondisclosure protections by Board** The Board may not publicly disclose information provided under this section if such information is otherwise protected from disclosure by law, including deliberative process information.