Sponsors (7)
The bill increases U.S. tools to block funding and financial access for actors tied to terrorism—potentially strengthening national security and enforcement—while risking humanitarian harm, economic costs, reduced diplomatic leverage, and broad immigration or due‑process consequences for affected individuals.
American taxpayers and the public: the bill authorizes sanctions and restrictions that reduce financial flows to groups that carry out or incentivize terrorism, which can decrease the risk of attacks and strengthen U.S. national security.
U.S. government and enforcement agencies: the bill creates and strengthens tools (blocks on property, visa/entry restrictions, civil and criminal penalties) that improve deterrence and make it easier to punish or disrupt support networks for terrorism.
U.S. banks and depositors: blocking sanctioned foreign banks from U.S. correspondent and payable‑through accounts reduces U.S. financial institutions' exposure to illicit flows and helps protect the integrity of the U.S. financial system.
Palestinian civilians, migrants, low-income families, and U.S. charitable channels: the bill's sanctions, transaction bans, and blocking provisions risk disrupting humanitarian aid, remittances, and charitable flows, potentially worsening civilian hardship.
American taxpayers and U.S. national security interests: conditioning or cutting assistance and using sanctions may reduce U.S. diplomatic leverage, complicate negotiations, invite retaliatory escalation from regional actors, and could worsen broader security or humanitarian conditions.
Immigrants, former PLO/PA officials, and humanitarian workers: broad and cross‑referenced definitions plus a 'knowingly' standard that includes 'should have known' and connections to immigration/terrorism statutes could trigger harsh immigration consequences, visa bans, or sanctions for individuals without clear intent, and could catch nonviolent actors.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Requires U.S. sanctions and immigration bans on foreign persons, entities, and banks that operate or facilitate PLO/PA payments to terrorists until State certifies the payments have stopped.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Michael Lawler · Last progress February 27, 2025
Imposes a U.S. policy requiring the President to impose targeted sanctions and immigration penalties on foreign persons, entities, and foreign financial institutions that operate, fund, or otherwise facilitate a system of payments, salaries, or benefits by the PLO/Palestinian Authority that support acts of terrorism. Sanctions include asset blocking under IEEPA, visa and entry-document revocation, and restrictions on U.S. correspondent and payable-through bank accounts, and they apply within 90 days of enactment and continue until the Secretary of State certifies the payment system has ceased. Defines key terms for enforcement, sets timelines for reports and implementing guidance, names certain Palestinian entities as examples of covered organizations, and makes the entire regime inoperative only if the Secretary of State certifies that the PLO/PA payment system to terrorists and their families has ended.