1. (a) Secretary of Defense responsibility The Secretary of Defense, in consultation and cooperation with the Commissioner of Customs, shall carry out programs for assisting customs officials and border guard officials in the independent states of the former Soviet Union, the Baltic states, and other countries of Eastern Europe in preventing unauthorized transfer and transportation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and related materials. Training, expert advice, maintenance of equipment, loan of equipment, and audits may be provided under or in connection with the programs.
2. (b) Other countries The Secretary of Defense may carry out programs under subsection (a) of this section in a country other than a country specified in that subsection if the Secretary determines that there exists in that country a significant threat of the unauthorized transfer and transportation of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons or related materials.
3. (c) Assistance to states of former Soviet Union Assistance under programs referred to in subsection (a) of this section may (notwithstanding any provision of law prohibiting the extension of foreign assistance to any of the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union) be extended to include an independent state of the former Soviet Union if the President certifies to Congress that it is in the national interest of the United States to extend assistance under this section to that state.

(Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XIV, § 1424, Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2726; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title XII, § 1211(a), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2087.)

Amendments 2004—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–375 amended heading and text of subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Of the total amount authorized to be appropriated by section 301, $15,000,000 is available for carrying out the programs referred to in subsection (a) of this section.”

Transfer of Functions For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Delegation of Authority Memorandum of President of the United States, July 24, 1997, 62 F.R. 40727, provided:

Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense

By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, I hereby delegate to you, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the authority vested in the President under section 1424(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (Public Law 104–201) [50 U.S.C. 2333(c)].

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

William J. Clinton.