SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Israel 
Against Economic Discrimination Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United Nations Human Rights Council 
(UNHRC) has long targeted Israel with systematic, 
politically motivated, assaults on its legitimacy de-
signed to stigmatize and isolate Israel internation-
ally. 
(2) The UNHRC maintains a permanent agen-
da item known as ‘‘Item 7’’ to ensure that Israel will 
be criticized at every gathering of the UNHRC. 
(3) At its 31st session on March 24, 2016, the 
UNHRC targeted Israel with a commercial boycott, 
calling for the establishment of a database, such as 
a ‘‘blacklist’’, of companies that operate, or have 
business relations with entities that operate, beyond 
Israel’s 1949 Armistice lines, including East Jeru-
salem. 
(4) For a half century, Congress has combatted 
anti-Israel boycotts and other discriminatory activity 
under the Export Administration Act of 1979 (as 
continued in effect under the International Emer-
gency Economic Powers Act), under the Ribicoff 
Amendment to the Tax Reform Act, in free trade 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
agreements with Bahrain and Oman, and in Saudi 
Arabia’s accession negotiations to the World Trade 
Organization. 
(5) The recent action of the UNHRC is remi-
niscent of the Arab League Boycott which also 
called for the establishment of a ‘‘blacklist’’ and pro-
moted a primary, as well as a secondary and ter-
tiary, boycott against Israel, targeting United States 
and other companies that trade or invest with or in 
Israel, designed to harm Israel, any business oper-
ating in, or doing business, with Israel, or companies 
that do business with companies operating in Israel. 
(6) Congress recently passed anti-boycott, di-
vestment, and sanctions measures in the Bipartisan 
Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability 
Act of 2015 (title I of Public Law 114–26; 19 
U.S.C. 4201 et seq.) and the Trade Facilitation and 
Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (Public Law 114– 
125), which establish, among other things— 
(A) the United States opposition to boy-
cott, divestment, and sanctions activity tar-
geting Israel; 
(B) requirements that the United States 
utilize trade negotiations to combat state-led or 
international 
governmental 
organization-led 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
boycott, divestment, and sanctions activity tar-
geting Israel; and 
(C) reporting requirements regarding the 
actions of foreign countries or international or-
ganizations that establish barriers to trade or 
investment for United States companies in or 
with Israel. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
Congress opposes the United Nations Human Right 
Council resolution of March 24, 2016, which urges coun-
tries to pressure their own companies to divest from, or 
break contracts with, Israel, and calls for the creation of 
a ‘‘blacklist’’ of companies that either operate, or have 
business relations with entities that operate, beyond 
Israel’s 1949 Armistice lines, including East Jerusalem, 
and views such policies as a boycott of, divestment from, 
and sanctions against Israel. 
SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS RELATING TO FOR-
EIGN BOYCOTTS UNDER EXPORT ADMINIS-
TRATION ACT OF 1979. 
(a) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—Section 3(5) of the 
Export Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. 4602(5)) 
(as continued in effect under the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A) to read as follows: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) to oppose— 
‘‘(i) restrictive trade practices or boy-
cotts fostered or imposed by foreign coun-
tries, or requests to impose restrictive 
trade practices or boycotts by foreign coun-
tries, against other countries friendly to 
the United States or against any United 
States person; and 
‘‘(ii) restrictive trade practices or boy-
cotts fostered or imposed by any inter-
national governmental organization, or re-
quests to impose restrictive trade practices 
or boycotts by any international govern-
mental organization, against Israel;’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘which 
have the effect’’ and all the follows and inserting the 
following: ‘‘which have the effect of furthering or 
supporting— 
‘‘(i) the restrictive trade practices or 
boycotts fostered or imposed by any for-
eign country, or requests to impose restric-
tive trade practices or boycotts by any for-
eign country, against a country friendly to 
the United States or against any United 
States person; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(ii) restrictive trade practices or boy-
cotts fostered or imposed by any inter-
national governmental organization, or re-
quests to impose restrictive trade practices 
or boycotts by any international govern-
mental organization, against Israel; and’’. 
(b) FOREIGN BOYCOTTS.—Section 8 of the Export 
Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. 4607) (as contin-
ued in effect under the International Emergency Eco-
nomic Powers Act) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, or request to im-
pose any boycott by a foreign country,’’ 
after ‘‘a foreign country’’; 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘, or support any 
boycott fostered or imposed by any inter-
national governmental organization, or re-
quest to impose any boycott by any inter-
national 
governmental 
organization, 
against Israel’’ after ‘‘pursuant to United 
States law or regulation’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘or 
international governmental organization (as the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
case may be)’’ after ‘‘of the boycotting coun-
try’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (D)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, or requesting the 
furnishing of information,’’ after ‘‘Fur-
nishing information’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or with the inter-
national governmental organization (as the 
case may be)’’ after ‘‘in the boycotting 
country’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘, or requests to impose 
restrictive trade practices or boycotts by foreign 
countries,’’ after ‘‘foreign countries’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or restrictive trade prac-
tices or boycotts fostered or imposed by any 
international governmental organization, or re-
quests to impose restrictive trade practices or 
boycotts by any international governmental or-
ganization, against Israel’’ before the period at 
the end. 
(c) VIOLATIONS OF SECTION 8(a).—Section 11 of the 
Export Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. 4610) (as 
continued in effect under the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act) is amended— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or (j)’’ after 
‘‘subsection (b)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(j) VIOLATIONS OF SECTION 8(a).—Whoever know-
ingly violates or conspires to or attempts to violate any 
provision of section 8(a) or any regulation, order, or li-
cense issued thereunder shall be fined in accordance with 
section 206 of the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705).’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section take effect on the date of the enactment of 
this Act and apply with respect to actions described in 
section 8(a) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 (as 
continued in effect under the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act) taken or knowingly agreed to be 
taken on or after such date of enactment. 
SEC. 5. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES RELATING TO BOY-
COTT OF ISRAEL UNDER EXPORT-IMPORT 
BANK ACT OF 1945. 
Section 2(b)(1)(B) of the Export-Import Bank Act 
of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 635(b)(1)(B)) is amended in the sixth 
sentence by inserting after ‘‘child labor),’’ the following: 
‘‘or opposing policies and actions that are politically moti-
vated and are intended to penalize or otherwise limit com-
mercial relations specifically with citizens or residents of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
Israel, entities organized under the laws of Israel, or the 
Government of Israel,’’. 
SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
This Act and the amendments made by this Act are 
intended to address and counter only acts of boycotts, di-
vestment, and sanctions against Israel. Nothing in this 
Act or any amendment made by this Act shall be con-
strued to alter the established policy of the United States 
concerning final status issues associated with the Arab- 
Israel conflict, including border delineation that can only 
be resolved through direct negotiations between the par-
ties. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BOYCOTT
OF, DIVESTMENT
FROM, AND 
SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL.—The term ‘‘boycott of, 
divestment from, and sanctions against Israel’’ 
means actions by states, nonmember states of the 
United Nations, international governmental organi-
zations, or affiliated agencies of international gov-
ernmental organizations that are politically moti-
vated and are intended to penalize or otherwise limit 
commercial relations specifically with Israel or per-
sons doing business in Israel or in Israeli-controlled 
territories. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
(2) POLITICALLY MOTIVATED.—The term ‘‘po-
litically motivated’’ means actions to impede or con-
strain commerce with Israel that are intended to co-
erce political action or impose policy positions on 
Israel. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:18 Nov 15, 2016
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6298.IH
H6298
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS