I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1337 

To restrict funds for the Palestinian Authority, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 21, 2013 

Mr. DESANTIS (for himself, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, 

Mr. PITTS, Mr. FLORES, Mr. KING of Iowa, and Mr. FRANKS of Arizona) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To restrict funds for the Palestinian Authority, 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 ‘‘Palestinian Account5 ability Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON USE OF THE TERM ‘‘PALESTINE’’ 

7 IN UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DOCU8 MENTS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—No United States Government 

10 document may refer to the areas controlled by the PalesVerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Mar 26, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1337.IH H1337

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1 tinian Authority as ‘‘Palestine’’ until the Secretary of 

2 State certifies to Congress that the Palestinian Authority, 

3 at a minimum— 

4 (1) does not manipulate or inappropriately in5 fluence in any way the outcome of presidential or 

6 legislative elections in areas controlled by the Pales7 tinian Authority; 

8 (2) is advancing democratic ideals by actively 

9 promoting human rights and ending government cor10 ruption through increased efficiency and trans11 parency in all government agencies and initiatives; 

12 (3) regularly and strongly condemns terrorism; 

13 (4) has taken, and plans to continue to take, 

14 tangible steps to disavow terrorism, dismantle ter15 rorist infrastructures, confiscate unauthorized weap16 ons, arrest and bring terrorists to justice, consoli17 date and control the Palestinian security organiza18 tions, and end the incitement to violence and hatred 

19 in the Palestinian media, educational institutions, 

20 mosques, and other institutions; 

21 (5) has ceased to participate in any economic, 

22 educational, cultural, or other boycott of Israel, its 

23 citizens, its products, or its services; 

24 (6) has worked, and plans to continue to work, 

25 actively with the Government of Israel to implement 


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1 the steps and adhere to the principles set out in the 

2 Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two3 State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict of 

4 2003 (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Roadmap to 

5 Peace’’) (or any successor to such) to bring security, 

6 peace, and reconciliation between Israel and the Pal7 estinians; 

8 (7) recognizes Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish 

9 state and conducts diplomatic relations with the 

10 State of Israel in the same manner and to the same 

11 extent as it conducts diplomatic relations with any 

12 other country; and 

13 (8) has either excluded Hamas from partici14 pating in a unity government or, if not, has required 

15 Hamas to explicitly and publicly support the require16 ments of paragraphs (1) to (7) of this subsection. 

17 (b) NONWAIVABILITY.—The prohibition under sub18 section (a) may not be waived for any purpose. 

19 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON UNITED STATES FUNDS TO THE 

20 PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—No funds available to any United 

22 States Government department or agency to carry out the 

23 provisions of chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assist24 ance Act of 1961 for any fiscal year may be obligated or 


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1 expended with respect to providing funds to the Pales2 tinian Authority unless with respect to such fiscal year— 

3 (1) an independent audit of the budget of the 

4 Palestinian Authority is conducted by a United 

5 States nongovernmental or private organization or 

6 entity and the Secretary of State submits such audit 

7 to Congress; and 

8 (2) the Secretary of State certifies to Congress 

9 that the Palestinian Authority, at a minimum, meets 

10 the requirements of paragraphs (1) to (8) of section 

11 2(a) of this Act. 

12 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section takes effect on 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act and applies with 

14 respect to funds available for fiscal year 2013 and subse15 quent fiscal years. 

16 SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS 

17 TO THE UNITED NATIONS. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in section 5, 

19 no funds available to any United States Government de20 partment or agency for any fiscal year may be obligated 

21 or expended with respect to making contributions to the 

22 United Nations if a Palestinian state is recognized as a 

23 member state of the United Nations unless with respect 

24 to such fiscal year the Secretary of State certifies to Con25 gress that the Palestinian Authority, at a minimum, meets 


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1 the requirements of paragraphs (1) to (8) of section 2(a) 

2 of this Act. 

3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section takes effect on 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act and applies with 

5 respect to funds available for fiscal year 2013 and subse6 quent fiscal years. 

7 SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS 

8 TO UNRWA. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—No funds available to any United 

10 States Government department or agency for any fiscal 

11 year may be obligated or expended with respect to making 

12 contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works 

13 Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East 

14 (UNRWA) unless with respect to such fiscal year— 

15 (1) an independent audit of the budget of 

16 UNRWA is conducted by a United States non17 governmental or private organization or entity and 

18 the Secretary of State submits such audit to Con19 gress; and 

20 (2) the Secretary of State certifies to Congress 

21 that UNRWA, at a minimum, meets the require22 ments applicable to the Palestinian Authority under 

23 paragraphs (1) to (3), (5), and (7) of section 2(a) 

24 of this Act, except that for purposes of meeting the 

25 requirements of paragraph (1) of such section, the 


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1 term ‘‘Palestinian Authority’’ shall be deemed to be 

2 ‘‘UNRWA’’. 

3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section takes effect on 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act and applies with 

5 respect to funds available for fiscal year 2013 and subse6 quent fiscal years. 

Æ 


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