Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act of 2017

Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act of 2017

This bill prohibits federal agency funds from being obligated or expended to purchase, transfer, export, or use any cluster munitions unless: (1) the submunitions of such munitions, after arming, do not result in more than 1% unexploded ordnance across the range of intended operational environments; and (2) the policy applicable to the export or transfer of such munitions specifies that they will be used only against clearly defined military targets and not in areas normally inhabited by civilians or where civilians are known to be present.

Expresses the sense of Congress that:

• the Department of Defense should ensure that the July 2008 Gates policy on cluster munitions is being fully implemented and that the United States will no longer use such munitions by the end of 2018 except in compliance with the 1% unexploded ordnance limit;
• the U.S. government should adopt a policy and develop a strategy to phase out the transfer, export, and use of such munitions;
• any alternatives that the government develops to replace cluster munitions should be compliant with the Convention on Cluster Munitions; and
• the United States should take all steps necessary to accede to such convention.