[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1697 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1697
To condition assistance to the West Bank and Gaza on steps by the
Palestinian Authority to end violence and terrorism against Israeli
citizens and United States Citizens.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 1, 2017
Mr. Graham (for himself, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Corker, Mr. Blunt, Mr.
Cotton, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Risch, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Young, Mr.
Crapo, Mr. Shelby, and Mr. Cruz) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To condition assistance to the West Bank and Gaza on steps by the
Palestinian Authority to end violence and terrorism against Israeli
citizens and United States Citizens.
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 ``Taylor Force Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Palestinian Authority's practice of paying salaries
to terrorists serving in Israeli prisons, as well as to the
families of deceased terrorists, is an incentive to commit acts
of terror.
(2) The United States does not provide direct budgetary
support to the Palestinian Authority. The United States does
pay certain debts held by the Palestinian Authority and fund
programs which the Palestinian Authority would otherwise be
responsible for.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
Congress--
(1) calls on the Palestinian Authority to stop these
payments and repeal the laws authorizing them;
(2) calls on all donor countries providing budgetary
assistance to the Palestinian Authority to cease direct
budgetary support until the Palestinian Authority stops all
payments incentivizing terror;
(3) supports the creation of a general welfare system,
available to all Palestinian citizens within the jurisdictional
control of the Palestinian Authority;
(4) urges the United States Permanent Representative to the
United Nations to use that position to highlight the issue of
Palestinian Authority payments for acts of terrorism and to
urge other member nations of the Security Council and the
General Assembly to join the United States in calling on the
Palestinian Authority to end this system immediately; and
(5) urges the Department of State to use its bilateral and
multilateral engagements with all governments and organizations
committed to the cause of peace to highlight the issue of
Palestinian Authority payments for acts of terrorism and join
the United States in calling on the Palestinian Authority to
end this system immediately.
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE TO THE WEST BANK AND GAZA.
(a) In General.--Funds appropriated or otherwise made available for
assistance under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.; relating to Economic Support Fund) and
available for assistance for the West Bank and Gaza that directly
benefit the Palestinian Authority may only be made available for such
purpose if the Secretary of State certifies in writing to the
appropriate congressional committees that the Palestinian Authority--
(1) is taking credible steps to end acts of violence
against Israeli citizens and United States citizens that are
perpetrated by individuals under its jurisdictional control,
such as the March 2016 attack that killed former United States
Army officer Taylor Force, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan;
(2) has terminated payments for acts of terrorism against
Israeli citizens and United States citizens to any individual,
after being fairly tried, who has been imprisoned for such acts
of terrorism and to any individual who died committing such
acts of terrorism, including to a family member of such
individuals; and
(3) has revoked any law, decree, regulation, or document
authorizing or implementing a system of compensation for
imprisoned individuals that uses the sentence or period of
incarceration of an individual to determine the level of
compensation paid.
(b) Exception.--The limitation on assistance under subsection (a)
shall not apply to payments made to the East Jerusalem Hospital
Network.
(c) Rule of Construction.--Amounts withheld pursuant to this
section shall be deemed to satisfy any similar withholding or reduction
required under any other provision of law.
SEC. 5. CONTINUOUS CERTIFICATION.
Funds appropriated or otherwise made available for assistance under
chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2346 et seq.; relating to Economic Support Fund) and available for
assistance for the West Bank and Gaza may only be made available for
such purpose if, not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of
State certifies in writing to the appropriate congressional committees
that the Palestinian Authority is taking credible and verifiable steps
to end acts of violence against Israeli citizens and United States
citizens that are perpetrated by individuals under its jurisdictional
control.
SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
including at a minimum the following elements:
(1) An estimate of the amount expended by the Palestinian
Authority during the previous calendar year as payments for
acts of terrorism by individuals who are imprisoned for such
acts.
(2) An estimate of the amount expended by the Palestinian
Authority during the previous calendar year as payments to the
families of deceased individuals who committed an act of
terrorism.
(3) An overview of Palestinian laws, decrees, regulations,
or documents in effect the previous calendar year that
authorize or implement any payments reported under paragraphs
(1) and (2).
(4) A description of United States Government policy,
efforts, and engagement with the Palestinian Authority in order
to confirm the revocation of any law, decree, regulation, or
document in effect the previous calendar year that authorizes
or implements any payments reported under paragraphs (1) and
(2).
(5) A description of United States Government policy,
efforts, and engagement with other governments, and at the
United Nations, to highlight the issue of Palestinian payments
for acts of terrorism and to urge other nations to join the
United States in calling on the Palestinian Authority to end
this system immediately.
(b) Form of Report.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.
SEC. 7. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
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