The Secretary of Energy shall take appropriate actions to ensure that—

(1) officials of the Department of Energy who are responsible for independent oversight of matters relating to nuclear safety at defense nuclear facilities and enforcement of nuclear safety standards at such facilities maintain independence from officials who are engaged in, or who are advising persons who are engaged in, management of such facilities;

the independent, internal oversight functions carried out by the Department include activities relating to—

(A) the assessment of the safety of defense nuclear facilities;

(B) the assessment of the effectiveness of Department program offices in carrying out programs relating to the environment, safety, health, and security at defense nuclear facilities;

(C) the provision to the Secretary of oversight reports that— (i) contain validated technical information; and (ii) provide a clear analysis of the extent to which line programs governing defense nuclear facilities meet applicable goals for the environment, safety, health, and security at such facilities; and

(D) the development of clear performance standards to be used in assessing the adequacy of the programs referred to in subparagraph (C)(ii);

(3) the Department has a system for bringing issues relating to nuclear safety at defense nuclear facilities to the attention of the officials of the Department (including the Secretary of Energy) who have authority to resolve such issues in an adequate and timely manner; and

(4) an adequate number of qualified personnel of the Department are assigned to oversee matters relating to nuclear safety at defense nuclear facilities and enforce nuclear safety standards at such facilities.

(Pub. L. 107–314, div. D, title XLVI, § 4642, formerly Pub. L. 103–337, div. C, title XXXI, § 3163, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 3097; renumbered Pub. L. 107–314, div. D, title XLVI, § 4642, and amended Pub. L. 108–136, div. C, title XXXI, § 3141(i)(13), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1779; Pub. L. 113–66, div. C, title XXXI, § 3146(g)(10), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 1080.)