Page 1 GAO-25-108065 NNSA Contractor Commuting
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is working to address
challenges it faces with recruiting and retaining qualified staff, including
contractor employees. Its efforts include implementing legal authority the agency
was granted in fiscal year (FY) 2025 to reimburse certain contractors for
transportation services for their employees. According to NNSA, this authority will
help address challenges related to transportation safety, traffic congestion, and
worker productivity.
NNSA is at its busiest since the Cold War as it directs a $200 billion, multidecade
nuclear modernization effort across its eight government-owned, contractor-
operated sites. The agency relies on and oversees about 70,000 management
and operating (M&O) contractor employees who execute its missions at these
sites.
1
The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (NDAA) authorizes NNSA to reimburse
contractors for approved transportation services (such as park-and-ride shuttles
and public transit subsidies) after reviewing proposed plans with certain required
information.
2
Senate Report 118-188 accompanying a bill for the FY 2025 NDAA
includes a provision for us to review NNSA’s implementation of the contractor
commuting authority through FY 2027 and provide an annual briefing to the
relevant congressional committees. This first report discusses NNSA’s actions to
implement this authority and challenges the agency anticipates facing.
• As of July 2025, only one of NNSA’s M&O contractors planned to submit a
proposal to use the new contractor commuting authority. NNSA is reviewing a
proposed transportation plan from the M&O contractor for Los Alamos
National Laboratory for FYs 2025 through 2030, which is expected to cost
about $74.4 million over the 6-year period. As of July 2025, contractor
representatives at the other seven sites said they did not plan to submit
transportation plans for the contractor commuting authority.
• NNSA plans to oversee the Los Alamos contractor’s costs for proposed
transportation services under the agency’s existing contractor and
subcontractor oversight framework. NNSA plans to monitor the contractor’s
costs and benefits reporting and performance.
• NNSA officials said they anticipate challenges with assessing some of the
intended benefits of proposed transportation services and having sufficient
capacity for oversight.
U.S. Government Accountability Office
ar Security Administration:
Implementation of Contractor
Authority
-25-108065
Report to Congressional Committees
