Nuclear Gold Standard Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense to develop a framework for a global alliance against nuclear terrorism that would incorporate the "gold standard" developed under this Act for the security of nuclear materials.
Directs the Secretary of Energy to work with: (1) the Secretary's Russian counterpart to develop a formal set of verifiable and enforceable standards to which all U.S. and Russian nuclear materials shall be secured and against which inspectors can test ("gold standard"); and (2) the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to extend such standards to all other countries with nuclear materials.
Directs the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of State to: (1) separately and jointly, provide assistance to other countries to implement the measures required by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540; and (2) jointly develop a set of incentives as part of such assistance.
Authorizes, subject to specified conditions, appropriations for: (1) specified Department of Energy and Department of Defense (DOD) nuclear materials safety and weapons reduction programs; and (2) securing nuclear materials in Russia.