Not less often than once every 3 years, the Commission shall conduct security evaluations at each licensed facility that is part of a class of licensed facilities, as the Commission considers to be appropriate, to assess the ability of a private security force of a licensed facility to defend against any applicable design basis threat.

The security evaluations shall include force-on-force exercises.

(1) The security evaluations shall include force-on-force exercises.

(2) The force-on-force exercises shall, to the maximum extent practicable, simulate security threats in accordance with any design basis threat applicable to a facility.

(3) In conducting a security evaluation, the Commission shall mitigate any potential conflict of interest that could influence the results of a force-on-force exercise, as the Commission determines to be necessary and appropriate.

The Commission shall ensure that an affected licensee corrects those material defects in performance that adversely affect the ability of a private security force at that facility to defend against any applicable design basis threat.

The Commission may suspend a security evaluation under this section if the Commission determines that the evaluation would compromise security at a nuclear facility under a heightened threat level.

Not less often than once each year, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report, in classified form and unclassified form, that describes the results of each security response evaluation conducted and any relevant corrective action taken by a licensee during the previous year.

(Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, § 170D, as added Pub. L. 109–58, title VI, § 651(a)(1), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 799.)