I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7945 

To provide a definition of antisemitism for the enforcement of covered civil 

rights laws. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 11, 2024 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO (for himself, Mr. LAWLER, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, and Ms. 

TENNEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight 

and Accountability, and Education and the Workforce, 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 

A BILL 

To provide a definition of antisemitism for the enforcement 

of covered civil rights laws. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Define to Defeat Act 

5 of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) The May 26, 2016, International Holocaust 

2 Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism is 

3 objective and clear, and the use of alternative defini4 tions of antisemitism, including instead of or in ad5 dition to the IHRA definition, impairs enforcement 

6 efforts by adding multiple standards that leave room 

7 for subjective application and may fail to identify 

8 some of the most insidious modern manifestations of 

9 anti-Jewish hate. 

10 (2) Antisemitism, including harassment on the 

11 basis of actual or perceived Jewish origin, ancestry, 

12 ethnicity, identity, affiliation, or faith, or connection 

13 thereto, remains a persistent, pervasive, and dis14 turbing problem in contemporary American society. 

15 (3) Jewish people continue to be a targeted mi16 nority in the United States. Data shows, for in17 stance, that Jews are consistently the most likely of 

18 all religious groups to be victimized by incidents of 

19 hate, and that such incidents are increasing at an 

20 alarming rate. 

21 (4) United States officials and institutions have 

22 a responsibility to protect citizens from acts of hate 

23 and bigotry motivated by discriminatory animus, in24 cluding antisemitism, and must be given the tools to 

25 do so. 


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1 (5) Valid monitoring, informed analysis and in2 vestigation, and effective policymaking all require 

3 uniform definitions. 

4 (6) While there can be no exhaustive definition 

5 of antisemitism, as it can take many forms, the 

6 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s 

7 working definition has been an essential definitional 

8 tool used to determine contemporary manifestations 

9 of antisemitism, and includes useful examples of dis10 criminatory anti-Israel acts that cross the line into 

11 antisemitism. 

12 (7) The International Holocaust Remembrance 

13 Alliance definition is used by various agencies of the 

14 Federal Government and the dozens of governments 

15 that are members of International Holocaust Re16 membrance Alliance. It is recommended for use by 

17 the European Council and the European Parliament, 

18 endorsed by the United Nations Secretary General 

19 and the Secretary General of the Organization of 

20 American States, included in policy guides prepared 

21 by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 

22 Europe, and formally adopted by a growing number 

23 of European and Middle Eastern nations. 

24 (8) Use of this definition of antisemitism, al25 though it is not to be taken as an exhaustive definiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:58 Apr 23, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7945.IH H7945

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1 tion, will increase the awareness and understanding 

2 of the parameters of contemporary anti-Jewish dis3 crimination. 

4 SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF MATERIAL RELATED TO ANTI5 SEMITISM IN ANTI-DISCRIMINATION TRAIN6 ING. 

7 The head of each Federal department or agency shall 

8 include the definition of the term ‘‘antisemitism’’ under 

9 section 7 in any anti-discrimination training and education 

10 materials or modules made available by the department 

11 or agency. 

12 SEC. 4. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE JURY. 

13 In any Federal criminal or civil action before a jury 

14 that involves antisemitism, the court shall include the defi15 nition of the term ‘‘antisemitism’’ in the instructions to 

16 the jury. 

17 SEC. 5. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION FOR COVERED CIVIL 

18 RIGHTS LAWS. 

19 In reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there 

20 has been a violation of a covered civil rights law on the 

21 basis of race, religion, color, ethnicity, or national origin, 

22 based on an individual’s actual or perceived connection to 

23 an aspect of Jewish identity, each Federal department and 

24 agency conducting such review or investigation or making 

25 such decision shall take into consideration whether the poVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:58 Apr 23, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7945.IH H7945

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1 tential violation was motivated, in whole or in part, by 

2 antisemitism. 

3 SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 

4 (a) GENERAL RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

5 this Act may be construed— 

6 (1) to expand the authority of the head of any 

7 Federal department or agency to enforce or imple8 ment a covered civil rights law; 

9 (2) to alter the standards pursuant to which the 

10 head of a Federal department or agency makes a de11 termination that conduct constitutes a violation of a 

12 covered civil rights law; or 

13 (3) to diminish or infringe upon the rights pro14 tected under any other provision of law that is in ef15 fect on the date of enactment of this Act. 

16 (b) CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS.—Nothing in 

17 this Act may be construed to diminish or infringe upon 

18 any right protected under the First Amendment to the 

19 Constitution of the United States. 

20 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

21 In this Act: 

22 (1) The term ‘‘antisemitism’’ has the meaning 

23 given such term by the International Holocaust Re24 membrance Alliance on May 26, 2016, and includes 

25 the examples of antisemitism set forth therein. 


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1 (2) The term ‘‘covered civil rights law’’ means 

2 any of the following: 

3 (A) Title I of the Voting Rights Act of 

4 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.). 

5 (B) Title II, title III, title IV, title VI, or 

6 title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 

7 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.). 

8 (C) Section 1977 of the Revised Statutes 

9 (42 U.S. Code 1981). 

10 (D) The Equal Educational Opportunities 

11 Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1701–1758). 

12 (E) Section 249 of title 18, United States 

13 Code. 

Æ 


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