PUBLIC LAW 105-261—OCT. 17, 1998 112 STAT. 2257 (2)(A) The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. (B) The amendments made by subsections (d) and (k) shall take effect 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 3155. INCREASE IN MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY FOR SCIENTIFIC, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNICAL PERSONNEL RESPON- SIBLE FOR SAFETY AT DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES. Section 3161(a)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 (Public Law 103-337; 42 U.S.C. 7231 note) is amended by striking out "level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315" and inserting in lieu thereof "level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314". SEC. 3156. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY OF DEI»ARTMENT OF ENERGY 5 USC 5597 note. TO PAY VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENTS. (a) EXTENSION. — Notwithstanding subsection (c)(2)(D) of section 663 of the Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government Appropriations Act, 1997 (Public Law 104-208; 110 Stat. 3009 - 383; 5 U.S.C. 5597 note), the Department of Energy may pay voluntary separation incentive payments to qualifying employees who voluntarily separate (whether by retirement or resignation) before January 1, 2001. (b) EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY. — The Department shall pay voluntary separation incentive payments under subsection (a) in accordance with the provisions of such section 663. SEC. 3157. REPEAL OF FISCAL YEAR 1998 STATEMENT OF POLICY ON STOCKPILE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. Section 3156 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105-85; 111 Stat. 2045; 42 U.S.C. 2121 note) is repealed. SEC. 3158. REPORT ON STOCKPILE STEWARDSHIP CRITERIA. 42 USC 2121 (a) REQUIREMENT FOR CRITERIA.— The Secretary of Energy shall "° ^' develop clear and specific criteria for judging whether the sciencebased tools being used by the Department of Energy for determining the safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile are performing in a manner that will provide an adequate degree of certainty that the stockpile is safe and reliable. (b) COORDINATION WITH SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. —The Secretary of Energy, in developing the criteria required by subsection (a), shall coordinate with the Secretary of Defense. (c) REPORT. — Not later than March 1, 2000, the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committee on.Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on National Security of the House of Representatives a report on the efforts by the Department of Energy to develop the criteria required by subsection (a). The report shall include— (1) a description of the information needed to determine that the nuclear weapons stockpile is safe and reliable and the relationship of the science-based tools to the collection of that information; and (2) a description of the criteria required by subsection (a) to the extent they have been developed as of the date of the submission of the report.
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