Title: Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance Act
This bill establishes in the legislative branch the Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance which shall: (1) continually verify that the Islamic Republic of Iran is complying with its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA); (2) continually assess the adequacy of JCPOA safeguards to ensure that Iran's permitted activities are not being used to further nuclear-related military or nuclear explosive purpose; (3) continually assess the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) capability to implement the JCPOA verification regime, including whether the IAEA has sufficient access to investigate suspicious sites or allegations of covert nuclear-related activities and whether it has the required funding, manpower, and authority to administer such verification regime; and (4) report to Congress on the matters covered by this bill.
"Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" means the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna July 14, 2015, by Iran and 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 Security Policy, and all implementing materials and agreements related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3810 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3810

   To establish the Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 21, 2017

Mr. Connolly (for himself and Mr. Francis Rooney of Florida) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish the Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance.

    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 ``Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear 
Compliance Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMISSION TO VERIFY IRANIAN NUCLEAR COMPLIANCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the legislative branch 
the Commission to Verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance (hereafter in this 
Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Functions and Duties.--The Commission shall--
            (1) continually verify that the Islamic Republic of Iran is 
        complying with its obligations and commitments under the Joint 
        Comprehensive Plan of Action (hereafter in this Act referred to 
        as the ``JCPOA)'';
            (2) continually assess the adequacy of the safeguards and 
        other control mechanisms and other assurances contained in the 
        JCPOA with respect to Iran's nuclear program to ensure Iran's 
        activities permitted thereunder are not being used to further 
        any nuclear-related military or nuclear explosive purpose, 
        including for any research on or development of any nuclear 
        explosive device or any other nuclear-related military purpose;
            (3) continually assess the capacity and capability of the 
        International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to effectively 
        implement the verification regime required by or related to the 
        JCPOA, including whether the IAEA has sufficient access to 
        investigate suspicious sites or allegations of covert nuclear-
        related activities and whether it has the required funding, 
        manpower, and authority to administer the verification regime 
        required by or related to the JCPOA; and
            (4) submit to Congress the reports required by section 5.

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Selection and Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of 
20 members as follows:
            (1) Four Members of the House of Representatives appointed 
        by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Two Members 
        shall be selected from the majority party and two Members shall 
        be selected, after consultation with the minority leader of the 
        House, from the minority party.
            (2) Four Members of the Senate appointed by the President 
        of the Senate. Two Members shall be selected, after 
        consultation with the majority leader, from the majority party, 
        and two Members shall be selected, after consultation with the 
        minority leader, from the minority party.
            (3) Two Members of the House of Representatives appointed 
        by the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (4) Two Members of the House of Representatives appointed 
        by the ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign 
        Affairs of the House of Representatives.
            (5) Two Members of the Senate appointed by the chairman of 
        the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
            (6) Two Members of the Senate appointed by the ranking 
        minority member of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate.
            (7) One member of the Department of State appointed by the 
        President of the United States.
            (8) One member of the Department of Defense appointed by 
        the President of the United States.
            (9) One member of the Department of Energy appointed by the 
        President of the United States.
            (10) One member of the Department of the Treasury appointed 
        by the President of the United States.
    (b) Chairperson and Co-Chairperson.--
            (1) In general.--There shall be a Chairperson and Co-
        chairperson of the Commission.
            (2) Designation of chairperson.--At the beginning of each 
        odd-numbered Congress, the President of the Senate, on the 
        recommendation of the majority leader, shall designate one of 
        the Senate Members as Chairperson of the Commission. At the 
        beginning of each even numbered Congress, the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives shall designate one of the House 
        Members as Chairperson of the Commission.
            (3) Designation of co-chairperson.--At the beginning of 
        each odd-numbered Congress, the President of the Senate, on the 
        recommendation of the minority leader, shall designate one of 
        the Senate Members as Co-chairperson of the Commission. At the 
        beginning of each even numbered Congress, the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives, on the recommendation of the minority 
        leader, shall designate one of the House Members as Co-
        chairperson of the Commission.
    (c) Prohibition on Compensation.--Members of the Commission may not 
receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their 
service on the Commission.

SEC. 4. TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES, PRODUCTION OF EVIDENCE; ISSUANCE OF 
              SUBPOENA; ADMINISTRATION OF OATHS.

    (a) Testimony of Witnesses and Production of Evidence.--In carrying 
out this Act, the Commission may require, by subpoena or otherwise, the 
attendance and testimony of such witnesses and the production of such 
books, records, correspondence, memorandums, papers, and documents as 
it deems necessary.
    (b) Subpoenas.--Subpoenas shall be issued jointly by the 
Chairperson and Co-chairperson of the Commission, and may be served by 
any person designated by the Chairperson and Co-chairperson.
    (c) Administration of Oaths.--The Chairperson of the Commission, or 
any member designated by the Chairperson, may administer oaths to any 
witness.

SEC. 5. COMMISSION REPORTS.

    (a) Report on Matters Covered by This Act.--The Commission shall 
submit to Congress a report with respect to the matters covered by this 
Act not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and on an annual basis thereafter. The Commission shall provide 
information relating to the JCPOA to Members of the House and Senate as 
requested.
    (b) Report on Expenditures.--For each fiscal year for which an 
appropriation is made the Commission shall submit to Congress a report 
on its expenditures under such appropriation.
    (c) Justification of Budget.--The Commission shall prepare and 
submit to Congress a justification of the annual budget of the 
Commission at the time of submission of the annual budget of the 
President to Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31, United 
States Code.

SEC. 6. STAFF OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Staff.--
            (1) Staff director.--The Commission shall have a staff 
        director, who shall be appointed jointly by the Chairperson and 
        Co-chairperson of the Commission and whose pay shall be fixed 
        jointly by the Chairperson and Co-chairperson of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Other staff.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall 
        appoint and fix the pay of other personnel of the Commission, 
        subject to the approval of at least 2 of the following members 
        of the Commission:
                    (A) The Co-chairperson of the Commission.
                    (B) For purposes of each even numbered Congress, a 
                Senate member of the Commission designated by the 
                President of the Senate, on the recommendation of the 
                majority leader. For purposes of each odd-numbered 
                Congress, a House member of the Commission designated 
                by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
                    (C) For purposes of each even numbered Congress, a 
                Senate member of the Commission designated by the 
                President of the Senate, on the recommendation of the 
                minority leader. For purposes of each odd numbered 
                Congress, a House member of the Commission designated 
                by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, on the 
                recommendation of the minority leader.
    (b) Treatment of Employees as House Employees.--For purposes of pay 
and other employment benefits, rights, and privileges, and for all 
other purposes, including the applicability of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives and the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, 
each employee of the Commission shall be considered an employee of the 
House of Representatives. For purposes of the Congressional 
Accountability Act of 1995, the Commission shall be considered an 
employing office with respect to its employees.
    (c) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to 
the Commission without reimbursement from the Commission, and such 
detailee shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of his or her 
regular employment without interruption.
    (d) Consultant Services.--The Commission is authorized to procure 
the services of experts and consultants in accordance with section 3109 
of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed the daily 
rate paid a person occupying a position at level IV of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.
    (e) Security Clearances.--All members of the Commission shall hold 
appropriate security clearances by reason of their participation on the 
Commission.
    (f) Foreign Travel.--Foreign travel for official purposes by 
members and staff of the Commission may be authorized by either the 
Chairperson or Co-chairperson of the Commission.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Commission for each 
fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

SEC. 8. JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action'' or 
``JCPOA'' means the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed 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 Security Policy, and all implementing materials and 
agreements related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
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