,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #digh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #h1  
#bjbj,mr4 ,cotton 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,cramer1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1
 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mr4 ,hawley1 and ,ms4   
,ernst7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,foreign ,relations  ,a  
,,bill  ,to require a study and report  
on a potential transfer of ,israel to   
the area of responsibility of ,united   
,states ,central ,command4  #a4 ,short  
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,israel ,,centcom ,reclassification     
,act4  #b4 ,study and report on         
potential transfer of ,israel to area of
 responsibility of ,united ,states      
,central ,command  7a7 ,findings        
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,israel is a vital diplomatic1     
economic1 and security partner of the   
,united ,states4  7#b7 ,the ,united     
,states1 ,israel1 and certain           
neighboring ,arab countries cooperate on

 security matters to counter shared     
regional threats1 such as ,iran4  7#c7  
,the normalization of ties between      
,israel and the ,united ,arab ,emirates1
 the normalization of ties between      
,israel and the ,kingdom of ,bahrain1   
and the announcement by ,israel and     
,sudan that such countries will pursue  
the normalization of ties have          
dramatically changed the security       
environment in the ,middle ,east in     
favor of peace and cooperation between  
,israel and neighboring ,arab countries4
  7#d7 ,in assigning the geographic     
boundaries of unified combatant         
commands1 the ,unified ,command ,plan   
specifically requires the ,chairman of  
the ,joint ,chiefs of ,staff to consider
 whether the current geographic boundary
 between the ,united ,states ,central   
,command and ,european ,command through 
the ,middle ,east could create command  
conflicts in the context of a major     
regional conflict in the ,middle ,east  
region44  7#e7 ,the current placement of

 ,israel within the area of             
responsibility of the ,united ,states   
,european ,command may not optimize     
coordination among the ,united ,states1 
,israel1 and other partners in the      
,middle ,east on issues of regional     
security4  7#f7 ,efforts to improve     
coordination between the ,israel        
,defense ,forces and the ,united ,states
 ,central ,command are underway and have
 made meaningful progress in the past   
decade4  7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is 
the sense of ,congress that the         
,secretary of ,defense should consider  
opportunities to strengthen shared      
deterrence and foster deeper            
coordination between the ,united ,states
 and its allies and partners in the     
,middle ,east on vital defense          
activities1 including military          
operations1 combined exercises1         
strategic planning1 theater missile     
defense1 and pre-positioning of ,united 
,states weaponry in the region4  7c7    
,study  7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary

 shall instruct the ,joint ,chiefs of   
,staff or one or more other appropriate 
individuals to conduct a study on a     
potential transfer of ,israel from the  
area of responsibility of the ,united   
,states ,european ,command to the area  
of responsibility of the ,united ,states
 ,central ,command4  7#b7 ,elements ,the
 study required by paragraph 7#a7 shall 
include the following3 7,a7 ,an overall 
assessment of the feasibility and       
advisability of transferring            
responsibility for ,israel from the     
,united ,states ,european ,command to   
the ,united ,states ,central ,command1  
including any impact on the security of 
,israel and the operational1 readiness1 
training1 personnel1 and budgetary      
implications for the ,united ,states4   
7,b7 ,an assessment of the advantages   
and disadvantages associated with such a
 transfer1 including an evaluation of   
the necessary steps to ensure continuity
 of ,north ,atlantic ,treaty            
,organization activities with ,israel   

and joint ,united ,states-,israel       
missile defense training and contingency
 planning4  7,c7 ,an assessment of the  
advantages and disadvantages associated 
with retaining the status quo4  7,d7    
,consideration of the views of the      
,minister of ,defense of ,israel and the
 head of the ,israel ,defense ,forces1  
including with respect to the potential 
impact on the operations and readiness  
of ,israel4  7d7 ,report  7#a7 ,in      
general ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary shall submit to the      
,committee on ,armed ,services of the   
,senate and the ,committee on ,armed    
,services of the ,house of              
,representatives a report on the results
 of the study conducted under subsection
 7c74  7#b7 ,form ,the report required  
by paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted in 
classified form together with an        
unclassified summary4