II 

Calendar No. 211 

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, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. COONS, Mr. NELSON, and Mr. PERDUE) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 

Reported by Mr. CORKER, with amendments 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Taylor Force Act’’. 

3 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress makes the following findings: 

5 (1) The Palestinian Authority’s practice of pay6 ing salaries to terrorists serving in Israeli prisons, as 

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

8 incentive to commit acts of terror. 

9 (2) The United States does not provide direct 

10 budgetary support to the Palestinian Authority. The 

11 United States does pay certain debts held by the 

12 Palestinian Authority and fund programs which the 

13 Palestinian Authority would otherwise be responsible 

14 for. 

15 (3) The United States Government supports com16 munity-based programs in the West Bank and Gaza 

17 that provide for basic human needs, such as food, 

18 water, health, shelter, protection, education and liveli19 hoods, and that promote peace and development. 

20 (4) Since fiscal year 2015, annual appropria21 tions legislation has provided for the reduction of 

22 Economic Support Fund aid for the Palestinian Au23 thority ‘‘by an amount the Secretary determines is 

24 equivalent to the amount expended by the Palestinian 

25 Authority as payments for acts of terrorism by indi26 viduals who are imprisoned after being fairly tried 


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1 and convicted for acts of terrorism and by individuals 

2 who died committing acts of terrorism during the pre3 vious calendar year’’. 

4 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

5 Congress— 

6 (1) calls on the Palestinian Authority to stop 

7 these payments and repeal the laws authorizing 

8 them; 

9 (2) calls on all donor countries providing budg10 etary assistance to the Palestinian Authority to 

11 cease direct budgetary support until the Palestinian 

12 Authority stops all payments incentivizing terror; 

13 (3) supports the creation of a general welfare 

14 system, available to all Palestinian citizens within 

15 the jurisdictional control of the Palestinian Author16 ity; 

17 (4) urges the United States Permanent Rep18 resentative to the United Nations to use that posi19 tion to highlight the issue of Palestinian Authority 

20 payments for acts of terrorism and to urge other 

21 member nations of the Security Council and the 

22 General Assembly to join the United States in call23 ing on the Palestinian Authority to end this system 

24 immediately; and 


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1 (5) urges the Department of State to use its bi2 lateral and multilateral engagements with all govern3 ments and organizations committed to the cause of 

4 peace to highlight the issue of Palestinian Authority 

5 payments for acts of terrorism and join the United 

6 States in calling on the Palestinian Authority to end 

7 this system immediately. 

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

9 AND GAZA. 

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

11 made available for assistance under chapter 4 of part II 

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

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

14 for assistance for the West Bank and Gaza that directly 

15 benefit the Palestinian Authority may only be made avail16 able for such purpose if the Secretary of State certifies 

17 in writing to the appropriate congressional committees 

18 that the Palestinian Authority— 

19 (1) is taking credible steps to end acts of vio20 lence against Israeli citizens and United States citi21 zens that are perpetrated by individuals under its ju22 risdictional control, such as the March 2016 attack 

23 that killed former United States Army officer Taylor 

24 Force, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghani25 stan; 


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1 (2) has terminated payments for acts of ter2 rorism against Israeli citizens and United States 

3 citizens to any individual, after being fairly tried, 

4 who has been imprisoned for such acts of terrorism 

5 and to any individual who died committing such acts 

6 of terrorism, including to a family member of such 

7 individuals; and; 

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

9 document authorizing or implementing a system of 

10 compensation for imprisoned individuals that uses 

11 the sentence or period of incarceration of an indi12 vidual to determine the level of compensation paid.; 

13 and 

14 (4) is publicly condemning such acts of violence 

15 and is taking steps to investigate or is cooperating in 

16 investigations of such acts to bring the perpetrators to 

17 justice. 

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

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

20 East Jerusalem Hospital Network. 

21 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Amounts withheld 

22 pursuant to this section shall be deemed to satisfy any 

23 similar withholding or reduction required under any other 

24 provision of law. 


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1 SEC. 5. CONTINUOUS CERTIFICATION. 

2 Funds appropriated or otherwise made available for 

3 assistance under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign As4 sistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.; relating to 

5 Economic Support Fund) and available for assistance for 

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

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

8 of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days there9 after, the Secretary of State certifies in writing to the ap10 propriate congressional committees that the Palestinian 

11 Authority is taking credible and verifiable steps to end 

12 acts of violence against Israeli citizens and United States 

13 citizens that are perpetrated by individuals under its juris14 dictional control. 

15 SEC. 6. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY ACCOUNTABILITY FUND. 

16 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND.—There is established 

17 in the Treasury a fund to be known as the ‘‘Palestinian 

18 Authority Accountability Fund’’ (PAAF). The PAAF shall 

19 consist of funds withheld under sections 4 and 5. 

20 (b) INVESTMENTS.—The Secretary of State shall invest 

21 funds in the PAAF in an interest-bearing obligation of the 

22 United States Government, or an obligation that has its 

23 principal and interest guaranteed by the Government, that 

24 the Secretary determines has a maturity suitable for the 

25 Fund. 


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1 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds from the PAAF may be 

2 made available upon a certification by the Secretary of 

3 State that the Palestinian Authority has met the conditions 

4 set forth in section 4(a). 

5 (d) DISPOSITION OF UNUSED FUNDS.—On the date 

6 that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

7 and annually thereafter, all funds that are in the PAAF 

8 shall be withdrawn and made available to the Department 

9 of State for the purpose of assistance other than that deemed 

10 benefitting the Palestinian Authority. 

11 SEC. 67. ANNUAL REPORT. 

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

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

14 the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate con15 gressional committees a report including at a minimum 

16 the following elements: 

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

18 Palestinian Authority during the previous calendar 

19 year as payments for acts of terrorism by individuals 

20 who are imprisoned for such acts. 

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

22 Palestinian Authority during the previous calendar 

23 year as payments to the families of deceased individ24 uals who committed an act of terrorism. 


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

2 regulations, or documents in effect the previous cal3 endar year that authorize or implement any pay4 ments reported under paragraphs (1) and (2). 

5 (4) A description of United States Government 

6 policy, efforts, and engagement with the Palestinian 

7 Authority in order to confirm the revocation of any 

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

9 previous calendar year that authorizes or implements 

10 any payments reported under paragraphs (1) and 

11 (2). 

12 (5) A description of United States Government 

13 policy, efforts, and engagement with other govern14 ments, and at the United Nations, to highlight the 

15 issue of Palestinian payments for acts of terrorism 

16 and to urge other nations to join the United States 

17 in calling on the Palestinian Authority to end this 

18 system immediately. 

19 (b) FORM OF REPORT.—The report required by sub20 section (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 

21 include a classified annex. 

22 SEC. 78. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE23 FINED. 

24 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com25 mittees’’ means— 


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1 (1) the Committee on Appropriations and the 

2 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and 

3 (2) the Committee on Appropriations and the 

4 Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep5 resentatives. 


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Calendar No. 211 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1697 

A BILL 

To condition assistance to the West Bank and Gaza 

United States Citizens. lence and terrorism against Israeli citizens and on steps by the Palestinian Authority to end vioSEPTEMBER 6, 2017 

Reported with amendments 


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