Title: Defending Israel's QME Act of 2017
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Defending Israel's QME Act of 2017
This bill amends the Arms Export Control Act to require that a determination relating to the sale or export of major defense equipment to a country in the Middle East other than Israel include an assessment of: (1) Israel's ability to defend itself against military threats from regional non-state actors, (2) the risk posed by the sale or export of a subsequent unauthorized transfer or proliferation of the equipment for use against Israel, and (3) countermeasures available to Israel to defend against such unauthorized transfer or proliferation.
The President shall seek to consult with appropriate Israeli government officials for information regarding Israel's qualitative military edge before making a determination that a sale or export of the defense articles or services will not adversely affect Israel's qualitative military edge.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2833 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2833

To require the President to assess the effects of the sale or export of 
    major defense equipment to countries in the Middle East on the 
      qualitative military edge of Israel, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2017

  Mr. Schneider (for himself and Ms. Tenney) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the President to assess the effects of the sale or export of 
    major defense equipment to countries in the Middle East on the 
      qualitative military edge of Israel, 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 ``Defending Israel's QME Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Israel is the strongest and most reliable strategic 
        ally of the United States in the Middle East.
            (2) Certain countries and non-state actors in the Middle 
        East region have been at war, both declared and undeclared, 
        with Israel since 1948.
            (3) Since the time of the Reagan Administration, the United 
        States has worked to preserve Israel's qualitative military 
        edge when considering the sale or export of defense articles or 
        defense services to Israel or to others in the Middle East 
        region.
            (4) Ensuring a substantial qualitative military edge is 
        critical to preserving Israel's safety and security.
            (5) The United States Government has proposed to sell or 
        export significant defense articles and defense services to 
        countries in the Middle East region.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the President should ensure that 
any sale or export of defense articles or defense services to countries 
in the Middle East region does not in any way adversely affect Israel's 
qualitative military edge.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT AND CONSULTATION REGARDING ISRAEL'S 
              QUALITATIVE MILITARY EDGE.

    Section 36(h) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776(h)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) an assessment of--
                            ``(i) the ability of Israel to effectively 
                        defend itself against military threats from 
                        regional non-state actors;
                            ``(ii) the risk that is posed by the sale 
                        or export of a subsequent unauthorized transfer 
                        or proliferation of the equipment for use 
                        against Israel; and
                            ``(iii) the effective countermeasures 
                        available to Israel to defend against such 
                        unauthorized transfer or proliferation.'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (2), as amended by 
        paragraph (1) of this section, the following:
            ``(3) Consultation required.--The President shall seek to 
        consult with appropriate officials of the Government of Israel 
        for information regarding Israel's qualitative military edge 
        before making a determination under paragraph (1).''.
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