Pub. L. 104-61, tit. VIII, sec. 8116

Sec. 8116. (a) Findings.—The Senate makes the following findings: (1) The President of France stated on June 13, 1995, that the Republic of France plans to conduct eight nuclear test explosions over the next several months. (2) The People’s Republic of China continues to conduct underground nuclear weapons tests. (3) The United States, France, Russia, and Great Britain have observed a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1992. (4) A resumption of testing by the Republic of France could result in the disintegration of the current testing moratorium and a renewal of underground testing by other nuclear weapon states. 109 STAT. 677 (5) A resumption of nuclear testing by the Republic of France raises serious environmental and health concerns. (6) The United Nations Conference on Disarmament presently is meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, for the purpose of negotiating a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which would halt permanently the practice of conducting nuclear test explosions. (7) Continued underground weapons testing by the Republic of France and the People’s Republic of China undermines the efforts of the international community to conclude a CTBT by 1996, a goal endorsed by 175 nations, at the recently completed NPT Extension and Review Conference (the conference for the extension and review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty). (b) Sense of the Senate.—It is the sense of the Senate that the Republic of France and the People’s Republic of China should abide by the current international moratorium on nuclear test explosions and refrain from conducting underground nuclear tests in advance of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.