II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 11 

To recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, to relocate to Jerusalem 

the United States Embassy in Israel, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 3, 2017 

Mr. HELLER (for himself, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. COTTON, and Mr. 

INHOFE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, to relocate 

to Jerusalem the United States Embassy in Israel, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Jerusalem Embassy 

5 and Recognition Act’’. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 11 IS

1 SEC. 2. RECOGNITION OF JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL OF 

2 ISRAEL AND RELOCATION OF THE UNITED 

3 STATES EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM. 

4 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It should be the policy 

5 of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the undi6 vided capital of the State of Israel, both de jure and de 

7 facto. 

8 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con9 gress that— 

10 (1) Jerusalem must remain an undivided city in 

11 which the rights of every ethnic and religious group 

12 are protected as they have been by Israel since 

13 1967; 

14 (2) every citizen of Israel should have the right 

15 to reside anywhere in the undivided city of Jeru16 salem; 

17 (3) the President and the Secretary of State 

18 should publicly affirm as a matter of United States 

19 policy that Jerusalem must remain the undivided 

20 capital of the State of Israel; 

21 (4) the President should immediately implement 

22 the provisions of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 

23 1995 (Public Law 104–45) and begin the process of 

24 relocating the United States Embassy in Israel to 

25 Jerusalem; 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 11 IS

1 (5) United States officials should refrain from 

2 any actions that contradict United States law on 

3 this subject; and 

4 (6) any official document of the United States 

5 Government which lists countries and their capital 

6 cities should identify Jerusalem as the capital of 

7 Israel. 

8 (c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘United 

9 States Embassy’’ means the offices of the United States 

10 diplomatic mission and the residence of the United States 

11 chief of mission. 

12 (d) AMENDMENT OF WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The Je13 rusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–45) is 

14 amended— 

15 (1) by striking section 7; and 

16 (2) by redesignating section 8 as section 7. 

17 (e) RESTRICTION ON FUNDING SUBJECT TO OPEN18 ING DETERMINATION.—Not more than 50 percent of the 

19 amounts appropriated to the Department of State for fis20 cal year 2017 under the heading ‘‘Embassy Security, Con21 struction, and Maintenance’’ may be obligated until the 

22 Secretary of State determines and reports to Congress 

23 that the United States Embassy in Jerusalem has offi24 cially opened. 

25 (f) FUNDING.— 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 11 IS

1 (1) FISCAL YEAR 2018.—Of the amounts au2 thorized to be appropriated under the heading ‘‘Em3 bassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance’’ for 

4 the Department of State for fiscal year 2018, such 

5 sums as may be necessary should be made available 

6 until expended only for construction and other costs 

7 associated with the establishment of the United 

8 States Embassy in Jerusalem. 

9 (2) FISCAL YEAR 2019.—Of the amounts au10 thorized to be appropriated under the heading ‘‘Em11 bassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance’’ for 

12 the Department of State for fiscal year 2019, such 

13 sums as may be necessary should be made available 

14 until expended only for construction and other costs 

15 associated with the establishment of the United 

16 States Embassy in Jerusalem. 

17 SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION REPORT. 

18 Not later than 30 days after the date of the enact19 ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a 

20 report to Congress that— 

21 (1) details the Department of State’s plan to 

22 implement this Act; 

23 (2) includes estimated dates of completion for 

24 each phase of the establishment of the United States 

25 Embassy, including— 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 11 IS

1 (A) site identification; 

2 (B) land acquisition; 

3 (C) architectural, engineering, and con4 struction surveys; 

5 (D) site preparation; and 

6 (E) construction; and 

7 (3) includes an estimate of the funding needed 

8 to implement this Act, including all costs associated 

9 with establishing the United States Embassy in Je10 rusalem. 

Æ 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS