Taylor Force Act

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Taylor Force Act 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) The Palestinian Authority’s practice of paying salaries to terrorists serving in Israeli prisons, as well as to the families of deceased terrorists, is an incentive to commit acts of terror. (2) The United States does not provide direct budgetary support to the Palestinian Authority. The United States does pay certain debts held by the Palestinian Authority and fund programs which the Palestinian Authority would otherwise be responsible for. (3) The United States Government supports community-based programs in the West Bank and Gaza that provide for basic human needs, such as food, water, health, shelter, protection, education and livelihoods, and that promote peace and development. (4) Since fiscal year 2015, annual appropriations legislation has provided for the reduction of Economic Support Fund aid for the Palestinian Authority by an amount the Secretary determines is equivalent to the amount expended by the Palestinian Authority as payments for acts of terrorism by individuals who are imprisoned after being fairly tried and convicted for acts of terrorism and by individuals who died committing acts of terrorism during the previous calendar year 3. Sense of Congress Congress— (1) calls on the Palestinian Authority to stop these payments and repeal the laws authorizing them; (2) calls on all donor countries providing budgetary assistance to the Palestinian Authority to cease direct budgetary support until the Palestinian Authority stops all payments incentivizing terror; (3) supports the creation of a general welfare system, available to all Palestinian citizens within the jurisdictional control of the Palestinian Authority; (4) urges the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations to use that position to highlight the issue of Palestinian Authority payments for acts of terrorism and to urge other member nations of the Security Council and the General Assembly to join the United States in calling on the Palestinian Authority to end this system immediately; and (5) urges the Department of State to use its bilateral and multilateral engagements with all governments and organizations committed to the cause of peace to highlight the issue of Palestinian Authority payments for acts of terrorism and join the United States in calling on the Palestinian Authority to end this system immediately. 4. Limitation on assistance to the West Bank and Gaza (a) In general Funds appropriated or otherwise made available for assistance under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2346 (1) is taking credible steps to end acts of violence against Israeli citizens and United States citizens that are perpetrated by individuals under its jurisdictional control, such as the March 2016 attack that killed former United States Army officer Taylor Force, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; (2) has terminated payments for acts of terrorism against Israeli citizens and United States citizens to any individual, after being fairly tried, who has been imprisoned for such acts of terrorism and to any individual who died committing such acts of terrorism, including to a family member of such individuals ; and ; (3) has revoked any law, decree, regulation, or document authorizing or implementing a system of compensation for imprisoned individuals that uses the sentence or period of incarceration of an individual to determine the level of compensation paid . ; and (4) is publicly condemning such acts of violence and is taking steps to investigate or is cooperating in investigations of such acts to bring the perpetrators to justice. (b) Exception The limitation on assistance under subsection (a) shall not apply to payments made to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network. (c) Rule of construction Amounts withheld pursuant to this section shall be deemed to satisfy any similar withholding or reduction required under any other provision of law. 5. Continuous certification Funds appropriated or otherwise made available for assistance under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2346 6. Palestinian Authority Accountability Fund (a) Establishment of Fund There is established in the Treasury a fund to be known as the Palestinian Authority Accountability Fund (b) Investments The Secretary of State shall invest funds in the PAAF in an interest-bearing obligation of the United States Government, or an obligation that has its principal and interest guaranteed by the Government, that the Secretary determines has a maturity suitable for the Fund. (c) Use of funds Funds from the PAAF may be made available upon a certification by the Secretary of State that the Palestinian Authority has met the conditions set forth in section 4(a). (d) Disposition of unused funds On the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, all funds that are in the PAAF shall be withdrawn and made available to the Department of State for the purpose of assistance other than that deemed benefitting the Palestinian Authority. 6 7 Annual report (a) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report including at a minimum the following elements: (1) An estimate of the amount expended by the Palestinian Authority during the previous calendar year as payments for acts of terrorism by individuals who are imprisoned for such acts. (2) An estimate of the amount expended by the Palestinian Authority during the previous calendar year as payments to the families of deceased individuals who committed an act of terrorism. (3) An overview of Palestinian laws, decrees, regulations, or documents in effect the previous calendar year that authorize or implement any payments reported under paragraphs (1) and (2). (4) A description of United States Government policy, efforts, and engagement with the Palestinian Authority in order to confirm the revocation of any law, decree, regulation, or document in effect the previous calendar year that authorizes or implements any payments reported under paragraphs (1) and (2). (5) A description of United States Government policy, efforts, and engagement with other governments, and at the United Nations, to highlight the issue of Palestinian payments for acts of terrorism and to urge other nations to join the United States in calling on the Palestinian Authority to end this system immediately. (b) Form of report The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. 7 8 Appropriate congressional committees defined In this Act, the term appropriate congressional committees (1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and (2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. September 6, 2017 Reported with amendments

Summary: Taylor Force Act (Sec. 3) This bill: (1) calls on the Palestinian Authority's (PA) to stop making payments to terrorists in Israeli prisons and to the families of deceased terrorists, (2) calls on countries to cease providing direct budgetary assistance to the PA until it stops all payments incentivizing terror, (3) urges the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.) and the Department of State to highlight the issue and urge other nations to call for an end to such payments, and (4) expresses support for creation of a general welfare system for all Palestinian citizens. (Sec. 4) Certain assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 that directly benefits the PA may not be made available for the West Bank and Gaza unless the State Department certifies that the PA: is taking steps to end acts of violence against U.S. and Israeli citizens perpetrated by individuals under its jurisdictional control, such as the March 2016 attack that killed former Army officer Taylor Force; has terminated payments for acts of terrorism against U.S. and Israeli citizens to any individual who has been fairly tried and imprisoned for such acts, to any individual who died committing such acts, and to family members of such an individual; has revoked any law, decree, or document authorizing or implementing a system of compensation for imprisoned individuals that uses the sentence or incarceration period to determine compensation; and is publicly condemning such acts and is taking steps to investigate or is cooperating in investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice. This assistance limitation shall not apply to payments made to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network. (Sec. 5) Certain assistance under such Act for the West Bank and Gaza may not be made available unless the State Department certifies every 180 days that the PA is taking verifiable steps to end acts of violence against Israeli and U.S. citizens by individuals under its jurisdictional control. (Sec. 6) The bill establishes the Palestinian Authority Accountability Fund, which shall consist of amounts withheld under this bill. Such amounts may be made available upon a State Department certification that the PA has met the conditions for which they were withheld. (Sec. 7) The State Department shall report to Congress annually with respect to: (1) PA expenditures as payments to individuals and families for acts of terrorism; (2) Palestinian laws, decrees, regulations, or documents that authorize or implement such payments and U.S. policy and engagement with the PA to confirm their revocation; and (3) U.S. policy and engagement with other governments and the U.N. to highlight such payments and urge other nations to join the United States in calling on the PA to end them.