Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-265
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Lance, Leonard [R-NJ-7]
Introduced: 2017-01-04
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Appropriations

Arab-Israeli relations

Building construction

Congressional oversight

Department of State

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Government buildings, facilities, and property

Government information and archives

Israel

Middle East

Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents

Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Latest action: action_date: 2017-01-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-01-04
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2017</strong></p> <p> This bill states that it is U.S. policy: (1) to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, and (2) that the U.S. Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem not later than January 1, 2019.</p> <p> The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 is amended to eliminate the President's authority to waive certain funding limitations for Department of State acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad until the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has officially opened.</p> <p>Any official U.S. document that lists countries and their capital cities must identify Jerusalem as Israel's capital.</p> <p>The bill limits appropriations that may be obligated in FY2017 for State Department acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad until the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has officially opened.</p> <p>Of the funds authorized to be appropriated for FY2017 and FY2018 for State Department acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad, necessary sums should be made available until expended only for construction and other costs associated with the establishment in Jerusalem of the U.S. Embassy in Israel.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 265 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 4, 2017 Mr. Lance introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, to relocate to Jerusalem the United States Embassy in Israel, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2017 . 2. Recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocation of the United States Embassy to Jerusalem (a) Policy It is the policy of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel, both de jure and de facto. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) Jerusalem must remain an undivided city in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are protected as they have been by Israel since 1967; (2) every citizen of Israel should have the right to reside anywhere in the undivided city of Jerusalem; (3) the President and the Secretary of State should publicly affirm as a matter of United States policy that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of the State of Israel; (4) the President should immediately implement the provisions of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 ( Public Law 104–5 ) and begin the process of relocating the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; and (5) United States officials should refrain from any actions that contradict United States law on this subject. (c) Removal of waiver authority The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 ( Public Law 104–45 ) is amended— (1) by striking section 7; and (2) by redesignating section 8 as section 7. (d) Identification of Jerusalem on Government documents Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any official document of the United States Government which lists countries and their capital cities shall identify Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (e) Timetable (1) Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States that the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem as soon as possible, but not later than January 1, 2019. (2) Opening determination Not more than 50 percent of the funds appropriated to the Department of State for fiscal year 2017 for Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad may be obligated until the Secretary of State determines and reports to Congress that the United States Embassy in Jerusalem has officially opened. (f) Fiscal years 2017 and 2018 funding (1) Fiscal year 2017 Of the funds authorized to be appropriated for Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad for the Department of State for fiscal year 2017, such sums as may be necessary should be made available until expended only for construction and other costs associated with the establishment of the United States Embassy in Israel in the capital of Jerusalem. (2) Fiscal year 2018 Of the funds authorized to be appropriated for Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad for the Department of State for fiscal year 2018, such sums as may be necessary should be made available until expended only for construction and other costs associated with the establishment of the United States Embassy in Israel in the capital of Jerusalem. (g) Definition In this section, the term United States Embassy means the offices of the United States diplomatic mission and the residence of the United States chief of mission.