,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eadi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ah1       
#bjai,mr4 ,panetta 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,bacon1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 and ,mr4        
,fortenberry7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs  ,a     
,,bill  ,to prohibit actions to suspend1
 terminate1 or withdraw the ,united     
,states from the ,open ,skies ,treaty4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,open ,skies ,treaty ,stability 
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3  7#a7 ,the ,open ,skies     
,treaty is a vital component of joint   
international arms control agreements4  
7#b7 ,the ,open ,skies ,treaty provides 
signatories with the ability to conduct 
short-notice1 unarmed reconnaissance    
flights over the territories of other   
signatories to gather information       
through aerial imaging on military      
forces and activities of concern4  7#c7 
,the ,open ,skies ,treaty aims to build 

confidence among signatories through    
participation in overflights4  7#d7     
,open ,skies ,treaty observation        
missions contribute to greater          
transparency and stability in the       
,euro-,atlantic region1 benefitting both
 the ,united ,states and ,united ,states
 allies and partners4  7#e7 ,in ,may    
#bjah1 ,secretary of ,defense ,jim      
,mattis affirmed the ,open ,skies       
,treaty is an important mechanism for   
engaging with ,united ,states allies and
 partners1 and it is in our ,nation's   
best interest to remain a party to the  
,open ,skies ,treaty4  7#f7 ,in         
,december #bjah1 the ,united ,states1   
along with ,canada1 the ,united         
,kingdom1 ,france1 ,germany1 and        
,romania1 demonstrated that ,open ,skies
 ,treaty mechanisms can be used during  
times of crisis4  7#g7 ,following       
,russia's unprovoked attack on          
,ukrainian vessels near the ,kerch      
,strait1 the ,united ,states and ,united
 ,states allies conducted an            

extraordinary ,open ,skies ,treaty      
observation mission over ,ukraine to    
reaffirm commitment to ,ukraine4  #c4   
,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of 
,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,united       
,states should forcefully address       
,russian violations of its obligations  
under the ,open ,skies ,treaty2  7#b7   
due to the significant benefits that    
observation missions under the ,open    
,skies ,treaty provide to the ,united   
,states and ,united ,states allies1 the 
,united ,states should commit to        
continued participation in the ,treaty2 
and  7#c7 the ,president should not     
withdraw the ,united ,states from the   
,open ,skies ,treaty4  #d4 ,statement of
 policy ,it is the policy of the ,united
 ,states--  7#a7 to continue to fulfill 
its obligations under the ,open ,skies  
,treaty2 and  7#b7 consistent with      
section #e1 to reject any efforts to    
withdraw the ,united ,states from the   
,open ,skies ,treaty1 or to indirectly  
withdraw from the ,open ,skies ,treaty  

in a manner that creates a de facto     
withdrawal4  #e4 ,prohibition on actions
 to suspend1 terminate1 or withdraw the 
,united ,states from the ,open ,skies   
,treaty ,the ,president may not take any
 action to suspend1 terminate1 or       
withdraw the ,united ,states from the   
,open ,skies ,treaty unless1 not later  
than #ahj days before such action is to 
take effect1 the ,secretary of ,defense 
and the ,secretary of ,state jointly    
determine and certify to the appropriate
 congressional committees that--  7#a7  
,russia is in material breach of its    
obligations under the ,open ,skies      
,treaty and is not taking steps to      
return to compliance with such          
obligations1 and all other state parties
 to the ,open ,skies ,treaty have been  
consulted with respect to such          
determination of the ,secretaries2  7#b7
 withdrawing from the ,open ,skies      
,treaty would be in the best interests  
of ,united ,states national security and
 the other state parties to the ,open   

,skies ,treaty have been consulted with 
respect to such withdrawal2 and  7#c7 a 
comprehensive strategy to mitigate      
against reduced military transparency1  
including potential new multilateral    
confidence building measures1 has been  
developed4  #f4 ,definitions ,in this   
,act3 7#a7 ,appropriate congressional   
committees ,the term appropriate        
congressional committees means--  7,a7  
the congressional defense committees 7as
 such term is defined in section #aja of
 title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code72 and 
7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs
 of the ,house of ,representatives and  
the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of
 the ,senate4  7#b7 ,open ,skies        
,treaty2 ,treaty ,the term ,open ,skies 
,treaty or ,treaty means the ,treaty on 
,open ,skies1 done at ,helsinki ,march  
#bd1 #aiib1 and entered into force      
,january #a1 #bjjb4