The Senate Armed Services Committee wants the Government Accountability Office to examine the culture and workings of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, according to a bill report the committee published this week.
“Recent assessments from the National Academy of Public Administration and from the Office of the Inspector General for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) identified shortcomings in DNFSB operations, specifically how roles and responsibilities are delegated consistent with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954,” the committee wrote in a report accompanying its version of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“Further, these assessments identified the need for culture change within the organization to ensure mission performance,” according to the NDAA Senate bill report.
The general management review of the DNFSB should “focus on whether past findings from independent assessments have been fully addressed,” according to the report. The Government Accountability Office should complete its work and brief congressional defense committees by May 31, 2025, the report says.
The Office of Inspector General said DNFSB Chair Joyce Connery and the board should concentrate more on defense safety policy and let top staff take care of routine daily issues.