II 

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. 

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 ‘‘Taylor Force Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) The Palestinian Authority’s practice of pay2 ing salaries to terrorists serving in Israeli prisons, as 

3 well as to the families of deceased terrorists, is an 

4 incentive to commit acts of terror. 

5 (2) The United States does not provide direct 

6 budgetary support to the Palestinian Authority. The 

7 United States does pay certain debts held by the 

8 Palestinian Authority and fund programs which the 

9 Palestinian Authority would otherwise be responsible 

10 for. 

11 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

12 Congress— 

13 (1) calls on the Palestinian Authority to stop 

14 these payments and repeal the laws authorizing 

15 them; 

16 (2) calls on all donor countries providing budg17 etary assistance to the Palestinian Authority to 

18 cease direct budgetary support until the Palestinian 

19 Authority stops all payments incentivizing terror; 

20 (3) supports the creation of a general welfare 

21 system, available to all Palestinian citizens within 

22 the jurisdictional control of the Palestinian Author23 ity; 

24 (4) urges the United States Permanent Rep25 resentative to the United Nations to use that posiVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:04 Aug 08, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1697.IS S1697

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1 tion to highlight the issue of Palestinian Authority 

2 payments for acts of terrorism and to urge other 

3 member nations of the Security Council and the 

4 General Assembly to join the United States in call5 ing on the Palestinian Authority to end this system 

6 immediately; and 

7 (5) urges the Department of State to use its bi8 lateral and multilateral engagements with all govern9 ments and organizations committed to the cause of 

10 peace to highlight the issue of Palestinian Authority 

11 payments for acts of terrorism and join the United 

12 States in calling on the Palestinian Authority to end 

13 this system immediately. 

14 SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE TO THE WEST BANK 

15 AND GAZA. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Funds appropriated or otherwise 

17 made available for assistance under chapter 4 of part II 

18 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 

19 et seq.; relating to Economic Support Fund) and available 

20 for assistance for the West Bank and Gaza that directly 

21 benefit the Palestinian Authority may only be made avail22 able for such purpose if the Secretary of State certifies 

23 in writing to the appropriate congressional committees 

24 that the Palestinian Authority— 


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1 (1) is taking credible steps to end acts of vio2 lence against Israeli citizens and United States citi3 zens that are perpetrated by individuals under its ju4 risdictional control, such as the March 2016 attack 

5 that killed former United States Army officer Taylor 

6 Force, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghani7 stan; 

8 (2) has terminated payments for acts of ter9 rorism against Israeli citizens and United States 

10 citizens to any individual, after being fairly tried, 

11 who has been imprisoned for such acts of terrorism 

12 and to any individual who died committing such acts 

13 of terrorism, including to a family member of such 

14 individuals; and 

15 (3) has revoked any law, decree, regulation, or 

16 document authorizing or implementing a system of 

17 compensation for imprisoned individuals that uses 

18 the sentence or period of incarceration of an indi19 vidual to determine the level of compensation paid. 

20 (b) EXCEPTION.—The limitation on assistance under 

21 subsection (a) shall not apply to payments made to the 

22 East Jerusalem Hospital Network. 

23 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Amounts withheld 

24 pursuant to this section shall be deemed to satisfy any 


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1 similar withholding or reduction required under any other 

2 provision of law. 

3 SEC. 5. CONTINUOUS CERTIFICATION. 

4 Funds appropriated or otherwise made available for 

5 assistance under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign As6 sistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.; relating to 

7 Economic Support Fund) and available for assistance for 

8 the West Bank and Gaza may only be made available for 

9 such purpose if, not later than 180 days after the date 

10 of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days there11 after, the Secretary of State certifies in writing to the ap12 propriate congressional committees that the Palestinian 

13 Authority is taking credible and verifiable steps to end 

14 acts of violence against Israeli citizens and United States 

15 citizens that are perpetrated by individuals under its juris16 dictional control. 

17 SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

19 date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 

20 the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate con21 gressional committees a report including at a minimum 

22 the following elements: 

23 (1) An estimate of the amount expended by the 

24 Palestinian Authority during the previous calendar 


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1 year as payments for acts of terrorism by individuals 

2 who are imprisoned for such acts. 

3 (2) An estimate of the amount expended by the 

4 Palestinian Authority during the previous calendar 

5 year as payments to the families of deceased individ6 uals who committed an act of terrorism. 

7 (3) An overview of Palestinian laws, decrees, 

8 regulations, or documents in effect the previous cal9 endar year that authorize or implement any pay10 ments reported under paragraphs (1) and (2). 

11 (4) A description of United States Government 

12 policy, efforts, and engagement with the Palestinian 

13 Authority in order to confirm the revocation of any 

14 law, decree, regulation, or document in effect the 

15 previous calendar year that authorizes or implements 

16 any payments reported under paragraphs (1) and 

17 (2). 

18 (5) A description of United States Government 

19 policy, efforts, and engagement with other govern20 ments, and at the United Nations, to highlight the 

21 issue of Palestinian payments for acts of terrorism 

22 and to urge other nations to join the United States 

23 in calling on the Palestinian Authority to end this 

24 system immediately. 


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1 (b) FORM OF REPORT.—The report required by sub2 section (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 

3 include a classified annex. 

4 SEC. 7. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE5 FINED. 

6 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com7 mittees’’ means— 

8 (1) the Committee on Appropriations and the 

9 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and 

10 (2) the Committee on Appropriations and the 

11 Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep12 resentatives. 

Æ 


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