Congress escalates unilateral sanctions on Palestinian Authority over terrorism financing
H.R. 1710 — PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act of 2025 · Filed by Michael Lawler (R-NY) · 6 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the President to impose financial and travel sanctions on foreign persons and entities involved in the Palestinian Authority and PLO's compensation system for terrorists and their families, and on foreign banks that facilitate such transactions. The sanctions include asset freezes, visa revocations, and restrictions on bank accounts in the U.S., and remain in effect until the State Department certifies that the PA/PLO have ended the compensation system.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is imposing sanctions (asset freezes, visa revocations, banking restrictions) on foreign persons and institutions connected to PA/PLO compensation of terrorists. This is a sanctions statute, not a commemorative or appropriations measure.
What the text implies
- The bill's definition of 'system of compensation' incorporates by reference section 1004(1) of the Taylor Force Act (22 U.S.C. 2378c–1), meaning the operative scope depends on how that external statute is interpreted and updated—changes to that law could alter this bill's reach without amendment here.
- Section 5 sanctions foreign financial institutions for 'knowingly' facilitating transactions with sanctioned persons, but 'knowingly' is defined to include conduct a person 'should have known'—a negligence standard that may expose banks to liability for transactions they did not affirmatively verify.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The bill advances a stated U.S. policy objective (countering terrorism financing) through established sanctions mechanisms, but the operative definitions of "system of compensation" and "material support" are broad and cross-reference external statutes, creating implementation ambiguity.