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S 1674 118th Congress Senate International Affairs

No START Treaty Act

Introduced: May 18, 2023 Introduced by: Cotton, Tom Republican · Arkansas See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 18, 2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
May 18, 2023
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

No START Treaty Act

This bill sets requirements for certain nuclear arms agreements with Russia and bars the expenditure of funds to implement the New START Treaty (a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia signed April 8, 2010) or similar future agreements unless such requirements are met. 

The bill prohibits the President from negotiating or entering into a treaty with Russia that would allow Russia to possess an equal or greater number of nuclear warheads or nuclear-capable delivery systems than the United States unless the treaty or agreement

  • restricts the size of China's nuclear arsenal;
  • includes measures to ensure that Russia and China are compliant with the terms of the treaty;
  • includes inspections of Chinese nuclear facilities comparable to those for Russian facilities;
  • includes current and future Russian strategic nuclear arms not currently limited by the New START Treaty (e.g., intercontinental hypersonic glide vehicles); and
  • includes current and future non-strategic nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

In the absence of a ratified treaty incorporating such provisions, the President is prohibited from reducing the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal or entering into an agreement with Russia or China to limit or reduce U.S. missile defenses.

Beginning one year after the bill's enactment, no funds may be expended to implement the New START Treaty, or any future agreement with Russia that limits the number of U.S. nuclear warheads or nuclear capable delivery systems, unless the above requirements are included or already in effect or a waiver is approved.

What's happening now May 18, 2023

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1