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H.R. 257: Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act

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H.R. 257: Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-01-04 · International Affairs · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-01-04 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Franks, Trent [R-AZ-8] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act

Plain summary

Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act This bill states that it is U.S. policy to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should recognize the sovereign status of an undivided Jerusalem as Israel's capital, (2) recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and transferring the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv will signal U.S. commitment to Israel, (3) the President and the Department of State should affirm as a matter of U.S. policy that Jerusalem must remain Israel's undivided capital, (4) the President should implement the provisions of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 and begin the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and (5) U.S. officials should refrain from actions that contradict U.S. law on this subject. The bill states that any official U.S. government document that lists countries and their capital cities should identify Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The President shall relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by January 1, 2019. The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 is amended to eliminate the President's authority, effective January, 1, 2018, to waive certain funding limitations for State Department acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad until the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has officially opened.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Franks, Trent [R-AZ-8] · 36 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Andy Harris (R-MD), David Rouzer (R-NC), Tom McClintock (R-CA), John R. Moolenaar (R-MI), Don Bacon (R-NE), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Roger Williams (R-TX), Scott Perry (R-PA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ), Brian J. Mast (R-FL), Jim Jordan (R-OH)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr257 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115