Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2017

Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2017

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.

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.

Any official U.S. document that lists countries and their capital cities must identify Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

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.

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.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 265 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 265

    To recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, to relocate to 
 Jerusalem the United States Embassy in Israel, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    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.

    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 ``Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 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.
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