I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4017 
To authorize the President to take actions to ensure Israel is prepared 
for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon after 
expiration of certain provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of 
Action, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 11, 2017 
Mr. GOTTHEIMER (for himself and Mr. MAST) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To authorize the President to take actions to ensure Israel 
is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop 
a nuclear weapon after expiration of certain provisions 
of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Israel 
Common Defense Authorization Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) seek to extend the provisions in the Joint 
Comprehensive Plan of Action described in subpara-
graphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 2(1), including 
through engagement in multilateral diplomatic ini-
tiatives, without abrogating the Joint Comprehensive 
Plan of Action; 
(2) ensure that Israel and other allies are pre-
pared for all contingencies should Iran pursue devel-
opment of a nuclear weapon after expiration of pro-
visions in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action 
described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of 
paragraph (1); and 
(3) send a clear signal to Iran that development 
of a nuclear weapon will never be tolerated. 
SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT. 
(a) STUDY.—The President, acting through the Sec-
retary of Defense, shall seek to conduct a study with the 
Government of Israel on the military requirements of 
Israel to defend itself against Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear 
weapon, including the extent to which the transfer of 
United States ordnance to Israel, upon expiration of the 
provisions in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action de-
scribed in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 2(1), 
would advance the national interests of both countries. 
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(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit 
to Congress a report that contains the results of the study 
required under subsection (a). 
(c) FORM.—The report required by subsection (b) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include 
a classified annex. 
SEC. 5. ACTIONS TO ENSURE ISRAEL IS PREPARED FOR 
ALL CONTINGENCIES IF IRAN SEEKS TO DE-
VELOP A NUCLEAR WEAPON AFTER EXPIRA-
TION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT 
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the preliminary condi-
tions described in subsection (b), the President is author-
ized to take the actions described in subsection (c), upon 
the request of the Government of Israel, to ensure Israel 
is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop 
a nuclear weapon after expiration of provisions in the 
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action described in subpara-
graphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 2(1). 
(b) PRELIMINARY CONDITIONS.—The President may 
exercise the authority of subsection (a) only if the Presi-
dent first determines and certifies to Congress that— 
(1) it is consistent with the results of the study 
and report required under section 4 to do so; and 
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(2) it is vital to the national security interests 
of the United States to do so. 
(c) ACTIONS DESCRIBED.—The actions described in 
this subsection are the following: 
(1) To provide for the construction of infra-
structure in Israel to accommodate large ordnance 
systems that are designed to destroy underground 
nuclear infrastructure, including— 
(A) construction of extended runways for 
aircraft that carry the Massive Ordnance Pene-
trator (MOP); 
(B) basing options for such aircraft; and 
(C) munition storage facilities. 
(2)(A) Not earlier than January 1, 2026, to 
store in the territory of Israel the MOP or related 
munitions described in paragraph (1), to be used by 
the United States except as provided in subpara-
graph (B). 
(B) Not earlier than January 1, 2026, to trans-
fer the MOP or related munitions described in para-
graph (1) to Israeli custody if the President deter-
mines and certifies to Congress that— 
(i) Iran— 
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(I) is in noncompliance with the NPT 
Safeguards Agreement on or after January 
1, 2026; 
(II) has withdrawn from provisional 
implementation of the Additional Protocol 
to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action; 
(III) has modified its implementation 
of the NPT Safeguards Agreement (includ-
ing modified Code 3.1); or 
(IV) as determined by the President 
in consultation with the Director General 
of the International Atomic Energy Agen-
cy, has reduced access of inspectors of the 
Agency in such a manner so as to be prej-
udicial to the Agency’s ability to provide 
confidence as to the non-diversion of de-
clared nuclear material and absence of 
undeclared nuclear activities; 
(ii) it is vital to the national security of the 
United States to do so; 
(iii) Israel has no other means to achieve 
a mutual national security objective of destroy-
ing Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure 
or facilities; and 
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(iv) a dual key control system is in place 
requiring approval by the President, acting 
through the Secretary of Defense (which may 
not be further delegated) for deployment of the 
MOP or related munitions described in para-
graph (1) prior to Israeli deployment of such 
munitions. 
(3) To provide for training of Israeli personnel 
with respect to the MOP or related munitions de-
scribed in paragraph (1). 
(4) To conduct joint research and development 
with Israel to— 
(A) enhance United States ordnance; and 
(B) develop Israeli capability for ordnance 
to destroy underground infrastructure, includ-
ing Hezbollah rocket storage and manufac-
turing facilities and underground Iranian nu-
clear facilities. 
SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to serve as 
an authorization for the use of military force against Iran. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION.— 
The term ‘‘Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’’ 
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means the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, 
agreed to at Vienna July 14, 2015, by Iran and by 
the People’s Republic of China, France, Germany, 
the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and 
the United States, with the High Representative of 
the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Secu-
rity Policy, and all implementing materials and 
agreements related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan 
of Action, and transmitted by the President to Con-
gress on July 19, 2015, pursuant to section 135(a) 
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by 
the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 
(Public Law 114–17; 129 Stat. 201). 
(2) NPT SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT.—The term 
‘‘NPT Safeguards Agreement’’ means the Agree-
ment between Iran and the International Atomic 
Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in 
Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation 
of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force on 
May 15, 1974. 
Æ 
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