[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6535 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6535

To require the President to obtain written approval from the Secretary 
   of Defense and the Secretary of State prior to the use of nuclear 
         weapons by the United States, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 27, 2016

 Mr. Grayson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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                                 A BILL


 
To require the President to obtain written approval from the Secretary 
   of Defense and the Secretary of State prior to the use of nuclear 
         weapons by the United States, 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 ``Nuclear Sanity Act''.

SEC. 2. NUCLEAR WEAPON USE APPROVAL PROCESS.

    (a) In General.--Except in a case of a physical attack on the 
territory of the United States by the military force of a foreign 
government, or in a case in which it is impossible for the President to 
establish communications with the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of State for a 24-hour period, the President shall obtain the 
approval of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State prior 
to the use of nuclear weapons by the United States.
    (b) Form of Approval.--The approval under this section shall be in 
writing unless the approving official deems approval in writing 
impracticable, in which case it may be oral. Written approval under 
this section may be transmitted to the President by electronic means.
    (c) Violations.--
            (1) The United States military shall disregard all orders 
        from the President in violation of this section.
            (2) Any violation or attempted violation of this section 
        shall be deemed a ``high crime or misdemeanor'' under the 
        United States Constitution.
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``territory of the 
United States'' means the States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 
Rico, and the territories of the United States, whether or not 
incorporated or organized.
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