Open Skies Treaty Compliance Assurance Act

Bill: 114-s-3007
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced: 2016-05-26
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Arms control and nonproliferation

Congressional oversight

Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information

International law and treaties

Russia
Latest action: action_date: 2016-05-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-05-26
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Open Skies Treaty Compliance Assurance Act</strong></p> <p>This bill prohibits funds from being obligated or expended to aid the certification or approval of any new sensor, including to carry out an initial or exhibition observation flight of an observation aircraft, for use by the Russian Federation on observation flights under the Treaty on Open Skies unless the President certifies to Congress that: </p> <ul> <li>the new sensor's capabilities do not exceed capabilities imposed by the treaty and safeguards are in place to prevent the sensor or any information obtained from being used in any way not permitted by the treaty; </li> <li> mitigation measures are in place regarding collection by such sensor of high-value U.S. assets and critical infrastructure; </li> <li>each covered state party has been briefed on intelligence concerns regarding upgraded sensors used under the treaty, Russian Federation war fighting doctrine, and related intelligence collection; and </li> <li> the Russian Federation is in compliance with all of its treaty obligations, including the obligation to permit properly notified covered state party observation flights over all of Moscow, Chechnya, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Kaliningrad.</li> </ul> <p>Certification is required for each sensor and platform for which the Russian Federation has requested approval under the treaty.</p> <p>The President may waive the requirement of Russian compliance with treaty obligations by certifying that sensor certification or approval is in U.S. national security interests. Such certification must include the date such compliance is expected and a description of U.S. efforts to achieve it.</p> <p>&quot;Covered state party&quot; means a foreign country that is a state party to the treaty and a U.S. ally.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3007 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 26, 2016 Mr. Cotton (for himself, Mr. Sasse , Mr. Rubio , Mr. Risch , Mr. Burr , and Mr. Inhofe ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations A BILL To prohibit funds from being obligated or expended to aid, support, permit, or facilitate the certification or approval of any new sensor for use by the Russian Federation on observation flights under the Open Skies Treaty unless the President submits a certification related to such sensor to Congress and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Open Skies Treaty Compliance Assurance Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives. (2) Covered state party The term covered state party means a foreign country that— (A) is a state party to the Open Skies Treaty; and (B) is a United States ally. (3) Intelligence community The term intelligence community has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3003 ). (4) Observation aircraft, observation flight, and sensor The terms observation aircraft , observation flight , and sensor have the meanings given such terms in Article II of the Open Skies Treaty. (5) Open Skies Treaty The term Open Skies Treaty means the Treaty on Open Skies, done at Helsinki March 24, 1992, and entered into force January 1, 2002. 3. Certification of new sensors (a) Limitation Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds may be obligated or expended to aid, support, permit, or facilitate the certification or approval of any new sensor, including to carry out an initial or exhibition observation flight of an observation aircraft, for use by the Russian Federation on observation flights under the Open Skies Treaty unless the President, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, submits to the appropriate committees of Congress the certification described in subsection (b)(1). (b) Certification (1) In general The certification described in this subsection is a certification for a new sensor referred to in subsection (a) that— (A) the capabilities of the new sensor do not exceed the capabilities imposed by the Open Skies Treaty, and safeguards are in place to prevent the new sensor, or any information obtained therefrom, from being used in any way not permitted by the Open Skies Treaty; (B) the Secretary of Defense, the commanders of relevant combatant commands, the directors of relevant elements of the intelligence community, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have in place mitigation measures with respect to collection against high-value United States assets and critical infrastructure by the new sensor; (C) each covered state party has been notified and briefed on concerns of the intelligence community regarding upgraded sensors used under the Open Skies Treaty, Russian Federation warfighting doctrine, and intelligence collection in support thereof; and (D) the Russian Federation is in compliance with all of its obligations under the Open Skies treaty, including the obligation to permit properly notified covered state party observation flights over all of Moscow, Chechnya, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Kaliningrad. (2) Specific sensor approval The certification described in paragraph (1) shall be required for each sensor and platform for which the Russian Federation has requested approval under to the Open Skies Treaty. (c) Waiver authority (1) In general The President may waive the requirements of subparagraph (D) of subsection (b)(1) if, not later than 30 days prior to certifying or approving a new sensor for use by the Russian Federation on observation flights under the Open Skies Treaty, the President submits a certification to the appropriate committees of Congress that the certification or approval of the new sensor is in the national security interest of the United States that includes the following: (A) A written explanation of the reasons it is in the national security interest of the United States to certify or approve the sensor. (B) The date that the President expects the Russian Federation to come into full compliance with all of its Open Skies Treaty obligations, including the overflight obligations described in subparagraph (D) of subsection (b)(1). (C) A detailed description of efforts made by the United States Government to bring the Russian Federation into full compliance with the Open Skies Treaty. (2) Form Each certification submitted under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.