[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[S. 669 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 669
To provide for consideration of legislation
to respond to a violation by Iran of an arrangement relating to its nuclear
program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE
SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 4, 2015
Mrs. Boxer (for herself, Mr. Schatz, Mrs.
Feinstein, Mr. Carper, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Franken) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for consideration of legislation
to respond to a violation by Iran of an arrangement relating to its nuclear
program, 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 “Iran
Congressional Oversight Act of 2015”.
SEC. 2.
DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Joint plan of action.--The term
“Joint Plan of Action”--
(A) means the Joint Plan of
Action, signed at Geneva November 24, 2013, by Iran and the P5-plus-1 countries;
and
(B) includes all
implementing materials and agreements related to the Joint Plan of Action, including
the technical understandings reached on January 12, 2014, the extension agreed
to on July 19, 2014, and the extension agreed to on November 24, 2014.
(2) P5-plus-1 countries.--The term “P5-plus-1
countries” means the United States, France, the Russian Federation, the People’s
Republic of China, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The acquisition of a nuclear
weapon by the Islamic Republic of Iran would pose a grave and serious threat to
international peace and security, including the national security of the United
States and its allies.
(2) The United States has led the
international community in imposing unprecedented and crippling sanctions with
respect to the nuclear program of Iran, which have helped to persuade the
leadership of Iran to return to the negotiating table.
(3) On November 24, 2013, Iran and
the P5-plus-1 countries, made up of the 5 permanent members of the United
Nations Security Council and Germany, entered into the Joint Plan of Action in
order to establish verifiable limits on the nuclear activities of Iran that are
of greatest concern with respect to proliferation and to facilitate
negotiations toward a final comprehensive arrangement that would prevent Iran
from developing a nuclear weapon.
(4) On November 24, 2014, the
P5-plus-1 countries and Iran extended the Joint Plan of Action to allow
negotiations to continue with the goal of achieving a political framework arrangement
by the end of March 2015, and full technical details by July 1, 2015.
(5) Under the Joint Plan of Action,
the Government of Iran has, among other steps, ceased enrichment of uranium to
near-20 percent fissile U-235, neutralized its stockpile of 20-percent enriched
uranium gas, halted major construction on its heavy water reactor at Arak,
halted the installation of additional centrifuges and not operated its more
advanced centrifuge machines to accumulate enriched uranium, allowed more
frequent and intrusive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency,
and allowed managed access to centrifuge production-related facilities and
uranium mines and mills.
(6) The International Atomic Energy
Agency has reported, including in a January 20, 2015, report, that Iran has
complied with its obligations under the Joint Plan of Action.
(7) Iran has a history of deceit
when it comes to its nuclear program and any final comprehensive arrangement
must be airtight and verifiable to ensure that Iran will live up to its commitments.
(8) The United States reserves the
option to impose or reimpose certain sanctions in the event that Iran violates
the Joint Plan of Action or any successor arrangement agreed to by the
P5-plus-1 countries and Iran.
(9) In his State of the Union
address on January 20, 2015, President Barack Obama said, “[We have a chance to
negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran, secures
America and our allies--including Israel, while avoiding yet another Middle
East conflict. There are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I
keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran.”.
SEC. 4. ASSESSMENTS OF
COMPLIANCE OF IRAN WITH NUCLEAR ARRANGEMENTS.
(a) In
General.--During the period during which the Joint Plan of Action or a
successor arrangement with Iran is in effect, the President shall submit to
Congress not less frequently than once every 90 days a
report
assessing the compliance of Iran with the Joint Plan of Action
or
the successor arrangement, as the case may be.
(b) Determinations Required.--Each report
required by subsection (a) with respect to the Joint Plan of Action or a
successor arrangement shall include a determination by the President, made in
consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, of the following:
(1) Whether Iran has failed to
fulfill the terms of the Joint Plan of Action or the successor arrangement.
(2) Whether Iran has attempted to
circumvent inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency or has
otherwise attempted to circumvent enforcement of the Joint Plan of Action or
the successor arrangement.
(3) Whether the International
Atomic Energy Agency or any of the P5-plus-1 countries has accused Iran of
violating the Joint Plan of Action or the successor arrangement and, if so, whether
the accusation is credible and whether Iran has been apprised of the
accusation.
(c) Certification Required.--The President
shall submit, with each report required by subsection (a), an unclassified
certification by the President, made in consultation with the Director of
National Intelligence, of whether Iran has complied with or violated the terms of
the Joint Plan of Action or a successor arrangement.
(d) Form of Reports.--Expect as provided in
subsection (c), each report required by subsection (a) may be submitted in
classified form or containing a classified annex, as appropriate.
SEC. 5. EXPEDITED
CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION TO REINSTATE WAIVED OR SUSPENDED SANCTIONS AFTER A
VIOLATION OF A NUCLEAR ARRANGEMENT BY IRAN.
(a) In
General.--If a report required by section 4(a) is accompanied by a certification
under section 4(c) by the President that Iran has violated the Joint Plan of
Action or any successor arrangement, Congress may initiate expedited
consideration of qualifying legislation pursuant to this section.
(b) Qualifying Legislation Defined.--For
the purposes of this section, the term “qualifying legislation” means only a
bill of either House of Congress--
(1) that is introduced not later
than 3 calendar days after the date on which the report described in subsection
(a) is received by Congress;
(2) the title of which is as
follows: “A bill reinstating sanctions imposed with respect to Iran and
prohibiting the
release of funds or assets to Iran.”;
and
(3) the matter after the enacting
clause of which is as follows: “All sanctions imposed with respect to Iran that
were waived or suspended pursuant to the Joint Action Plan (as defined in
section 2 of the Iran Congressional Oversight Act of 2015) or a successor
arrangement are reinstated and the release of funds or assets to Iran pursuant
to the Joint Action Plan or a successor arrangement is prohibited.”.
(c) Fast Track Consideration in House of
Representatives.--
(1) Reconvening.--Upon receipt of a
report described in subsection (a), the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, if the House would otherwise be adjourned, shall notify the Members
of the House that, pursuant to this section, the House shall convene not later
than the second calendar day after receipt of the report.
(2) Reporting and discharge.--Any
committee of the House of Representatives to which qualifying legislation is
referred shall report it to the House not later than 5 calendar days after the
date of receipt of the report described in subsection
(a). If a committee fails to report the
qualifying legislation within that period, the committee shall be discharged
from further consideration of the qualifying legislation and the qualifying
legislation shall be referred to the appropriate calendar.
(3) Proceeding to consideration.--After
each committee authorized to consider qualifying legislation reports it to the House
or has been discharged from its consideration, it shall be in order, not later
than the sixth day after Congress
receives
the report described in subsection (a), to move to proceed to consider the
qualifying legislation in the House.
All
points of order against the motion are waived. Such a motion shall not be in
order after the House has disposed of a
motion
to proceed on the qualifying legislation. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the motion to its adoption without intervening motion.
The motion shall not be debatable. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the
motion is disposed of shall not be in order.
(4) Consideration.--The qualifying
legislation shall be considered as read. All points of order against the
qualifying
legislation
and against its consideration are waived. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the
qualifying
legislation to its passage without intervening motion except 2 hours of debate
equally divided and controlled
by
the proponent and an opponent. A motion to reconsider the vote on passage of
the qualifying legislation shall not be in order.
(d) Fast Track Consideration in Senate.--
(1) Reconvening.--Upon receipt of a
report described in subsection (a), if the Senate has adjourned or recessed for
more than 2 days, the majority leader of the Senate, after consultation with
the minority leader of the Senate, shall
notify
the Members of the Senate that, pursuant to this section, the Senate shall
convene not later than the second
calendar
day after receipt of the report.
(2) Placement on calendar.--Upon
introduction in the Senate, the qualifying legislation shall be placed
immediately on the calendar.
(3) Floor consideration.--
(A) In general.--Notwithstanding
Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in order at any
time
during the period beginning on the fourth day after the date on which Congress
receives a report described in subsection (a) and ending on the sixth day after
the date on which Congress receives that report (even though a previous motion
to the same effect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the consideration
of the qualifying legislation, and all points of order against the qualifying
legislation (and against consideration of the qualifying legislation) are
waived. The motion to proceed is not debatable. The motion is not subject to a
motion to postpone. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is
agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the
consideration of the qualifying legislation is agreed to, the qualifying
legislation shall remain the unfinished business until disposed of.
(B) Debate.--Debate on the
qualifying legislation, and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection
therewith,
shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, which shall be divided equally
between the majority and
minority
leaders or their designees. A motion further to limit debate is in order and
not debatable. An
amendment
to, or a motion to postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consideration of
other business, or a
motion
to recommit the qualifying legislation is not in order.
(C) Vote on passage.--The vote on
passage shall occur immediately following the conclusion of the
debate
on the qualifying legislation, and a single quorum call at the conclusion of
the debate if requested in accordance with the rules of the Senate.
(D) Rulings of the chair on
procedure.--Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application
of the rules of the Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure relating to
qualifying legislation shall be decided without debate.
(e) Rules Relating to Senate and House of
Representatives.--
(1) Coordination with action by
other house.--If, before the passage by one House of qualifying legislation of
that
House,
that House receives qualifying legislation from the other House, then the
following procedures shall apply:
(A) The qualifying legislation
of the other House shall not be referred to a committee.
(B) With respect to
qualifying legislation of the House receiving the legislation--
(i) the procedure
in that House shall be the same as if no qualifying legislation had been
received from the other House; but
(ii) the vote on
passage shall be on the qualifying legislation of the other House.
(2) Treatment of qualifying legislation
of other house.--If one House fails to introduce or consider qualifying
legislation under this section, the qualifying legislation of the other House
shall be entitled to expedited floor procedures under this section.
(3) Treatment of companion measures.--If,
following passage of the qualifying legislation in the Senate, the Senate then receives
the companion measure from the House of Representatives, the companion measure
shall not be debatable.
(4) Subsequent measures.--If
qualifying legislation has been considered under this section in both Houses of
Congress pursuant to a report described in subsection (a), no further qualifying
legislation shall be in order until Congress receives a new report described in
subsection (a).
(f) Vetoes.--If the President vetoes qualifying
legislation, debate on a veto message in the Senate under this section shall be
1 hour equally divided between the majority and minority leaders or their designees.
(g) Rules of House of Representatives and
Senate.--This section and section 6 are enacted by Congress--
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking
power of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, and as such
are deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only
with respect to the procedure to be followed in that House in the case of legislation
described in those sections, and supersede other rules only to the extent that they
are inconsistent with such rules; and
(2) with full recognition of the
constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to
the
procedure
of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in
the case of any other rule of that House.
SEC. 6. CONSIDERATION IN
THE SENATE OF ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION TO FURTHER RESPOND TO A VIOLATION BY IRAN
OF A NUCLEAR ARRANGEMENT.
(a) In
General.--Notwithstanding Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is
in order at any time during the 30-day period beginning on the date on which a
report described in section 5(a) is received by Congress (even though a previous
motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the
consideration of legislation described in subsection (b), and all points of
order against the legislation (and against consideration of the legislation) are
waived. The motion to proceed is not debatable. The motion is not subject to a
motion to postpone. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is
agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the
consideration of the legislation is agreed to, the legislation shall remain the
unfinished business until disposed of.
(b) Legislation Described.--Legislation
described in this subsection is such legislation as the majority leader of the
Senate, after consultation with the minority leader, determines necessary to further
respond to a violation by Iran the Joint Plan of Action or any successor
arrangement.
SEC. 7. ROLE OF CONGRESS
IN LIFTING CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED SANCTIONS.
If the
United States is a party to a comprehensive long-term arrangement with Iran
relating to its nuclear program under which the United States commits to
lifting sanctions imposed pursuant to any provision of law included in a duly
enacted Act of Congress, that provision of law shall remain in effect until,
consistent with section 7 of article I of the Constitution of the United States
and notwithstanding the arrangement, repealed by an Act of Congress or terminated
pursuant to another provision of law.
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