Title: Upholding America's Nuclear Commitments Act of 2017
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Upholding America's Nuclear Commitments Act of 2017
This bill directs the Department of Defense to report to the congressional defense committees on the Russian Federation's new ground-launched cruise missile (SSC-8). Funds authorized in FY2018 for the research and development program for the dual-capable road-mobile ground-launched missile system with a maximum range of 5,500 kilometers may not be obligated or expended until the committees receive the report.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1796 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1796

 To require a report on the military and security ramifications of the 
 new ground-launched cruise missile of the Russian Federation, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 12, 2017

  Ms. Warren (for herself and Mr. Lee) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require a report on the military and security ramifications of the 
 new ground-launched cruise missile of the Russian Federation, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Upholding America's Nuclear 
Commitments Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. REPORT ON MILITARY AND SECURITY RAMIFICATIONS OF RUSSIA'S 
              GROUND-LAUNCHED CRUISE MISSILE.

    (a) Report Required.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, with the 
        concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall submit to the 
        congressional defense committees a report including the 
        following elements:
                    (A) A description of the status of the Russian 
                Federation's new ground-launched cruise missile (SSC-
                8), its capabilities, and the threat it poses to the 
                allies and assets of the United States in Europe and 
                Asia.
                    (B) An assessment of whether the United States 
                faces significant military disadvantages with the 
                introduction of the SSC-8 to the European continent.
                    (C) An assessment of capability gaps that a new 
                United States ground-launched intermediate-range 
                missile with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers 
                would address in Europe and Asia and whether such a 
                missile is the preferred military response to Russian 
                Federation violations of the INF Treaty.
                    (D) The timeline for fielding such a ground-
                launched intermediate-range missile, including time for 
                research, development, and deployment of the system, 
                and the total cost for development and deployment of 
                the system.
                    (E) An assessment of the willingness of countries 
                in Europe or the Asia-Pacific region to complete the 
                legal requirements to host a ground-launched 
                intermediate-range missile with a range of between 500 
                and 5,500 kilometers for counterforce or countervailing 
                strike missions against the Russian Federation and the 
                People's Republic of China.
                    (F) An assessment of the North Atlantic Council's 
                willingness to endorse development of a ground-launched 
                intermediate-range missile as part of the North 
                Atlantic Treaty Organization's collective response to 
                the failure of the Russian Federation to comply with 
                the INF Treaty.
                    (G) A determination of whether the United States 
                developing, producing, or flight-testing a ground-
                launched intermediate-range missile would be compliant 
                with the INF Treaty.
            (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex.
    (b) Limitation on Use of Funds.--None of the funds authorized to be 
appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2018 for a 
research and development program for a dual-capable road-mobile ground-
launched missile system with a maximum range of 5,500 kilometers may be 
obligated or expended until the report required by subsection (a) is 
received by the congressional defense committees.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Congressional defense committees.--The term 
        ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code.
            (2) INF treaty.--The term ``INF Treaty'' means the Treaty 
        between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet 
        Socialist Republics on the Elimination of their Intermediate-
        Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, signed at Washington December 
        8, 1987, and entered into force June 1, 1988.
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