II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5431 

To prohibit the use of materials that use the term ‘‘West Bank’’, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 5, 2024 

Mr. COTTON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To prohibit the use of materials that use the term ‘‘West 

Bank’’, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Retiring the Egregious 

5 Confusion Over the Genuine Name of Israel’s Zone of In6 fluence by Necessitating Government-use of Judea and 

7 Samaria Act’’ or the ‘‘RECOGNIZING Judea and Sama8 ria Act’’. 


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•S 5431 IS

1 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 It is the sense of Congress that the United States 

3 Government— 

4 (1) should refer to the land annexed by Israel 

5 from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War by its 

6 historical names of ‘‘Judea and Samaria’’, with the 

7 land south of Jerusalem being considered ‘‘Judea’’ 

8 and the land north of Jerusalem being considered 

9 ‘‘Samaria’’; and 

10 (2) should no longer use the term ‘‘West Bank’’ 

11 in official government materials. 

12 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF MATERIALS THAT USE 

13 THE TERM ‘‘WEST BANK’’. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi15 sion of law, none of the funds authorized to be appro16 priated or otherwise made available after the date of the 

17 enactment of this Act may be obligated or expended to 

18 prepare or promulgate any policy, guidance, regulation, 

19 notice, Executive order, materials, briefing, press release, 

20 communications, or other work product that refers to 

21 Judea and Samaria as the ‘‘West Bank’’. 

22 (b) EXCEPTION.—The prohibition in this section 

23 shall not apply with respect to the obligation or expendi24 ture of funds relating to obligations of the United States 

25 under international treaties or other agreements. 


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•S 5431 IS

1 (c) WAIVER.—The Secretary of State may waive the 

2 prohibition in this section if the Secretary— 

3 (1) determines that is in the interests of the 

4 United States to do so; and 

5 (2) submits to Congress an explanation for the 

6 waiver not later than 30 days after the date on 

7 which the Secretary makes the determination. 

8 SEC. 4. CONFORMING CHANGES TO UNITED STATES LAW. 

9 (a) FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961.—The For10 eign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended as follows: 

11 (1) In section 620K(f)(3) (22 U.S.C. 

12 2378b(f)(3)), by striking ‘‘the West Bank’’ and in13 serting ‘‘Judea and Samaria’’. 

14 (2) In section 620L (22 U.S.C. 2378c)— 

15 (A) in the section heading, by striking 

16 ‘‘THE WEST BANK’’ and inserting ‘‘JUDEA

17 AND SAMARIA’’; and 

18 (B) by striking ‘‘the West Bank’’ each 

19 place it appears and inserting ‘‘Judea and Sa20 maria’’. 

21 (b) TAYLOR FORCE ACT.—Section 1004 of the Tay22 lor Force Act (22 U.S.C. 2378c–1) is amended— 

23 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘THE

24 WEST BANK’’ and inserting ‘‘JUDEA AND SAMA25 RIA’’; and 


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•S 5431 IS

1 (2) by striking ‘‘the West Bank’’ each place it 

2 appears and inserting ‘‘Judea and Samaria’’. 

3 (c) MULTINATIONAL FORCE AND OBSERVERS PAR4 TICIPATION RESOLUTION.—Section 2 of the Multinational 

5 Force and Observers Participation Resolution (22 U.S.C. 

6 3421) is amended by striking ‘‘the West Bank’’ and in7 serting ‘‘Judea and Samaria’’. 

8 (d) OMNIBUS DIPLOMATIC SECURITY AND

9 ANTITERRORISM ACT OF 1986.—Section 414 of the Om10 nibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 

11 (22 U.S.C. 4862) is amended— 

12 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘WEST

13 BANK’’ and inserting ‘‘JUDEA AND SAMARIA’’; 

14 and 

15 (2) by striking ‘‘the West Bank’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘Judea and Samaria’’. 

17 (e) UNITED STATES-ISRAEL FREE TRADE AREA IM18 PLEMENTATION ACT OF 1985.—Section 9 of the United 

19 States-Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 

20 1985 (Public Law 99–47; 19 U.S.C. 2112 note) is amend21 ed by striking ‘‘the West Bank’’ each place it appears and 

22 inserting ‘‘Judea and Samaria’’. 

23 (f) IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 9/11 

24 COMMISSION ACT OF 2007.—Section 2021(i) of the Im25 plementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act 


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•S 5431 IS

1 of 2007 (22 U.S.C. 2151 note) is amended by striking 

2 ‘‘the West Bank’’ and inserting ‘‘Judea and Samaria’’. 

3 (g) FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FIS4 CAL YEAR 2003.—Section 699 of the Foreign Relations 

5 Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107– 

6 228; 22 U.S.C. 2301 note) is amended— 

7 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘WEST

8 BANK’’ and inserting ‘‘JUDEA AND SAMARIA’’; 

9 and 

10 (2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘the West 

11 Bank’’ and inserting ‘‘Judea and Samaria’’. 

12 (h) NITA M. LOWEY MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP

13 FOR PEACE ACT.—Section 8005 of the Nita M. Lowey 

14 Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (division K of Pub15 lic Law 116–260) is amended by striking ‘‘the West 

16 Bank’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Judea and 

17 Samaria’’. 

Æ 


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