Sponsors (12)
The bill standardizes U.S. terminology to reflect one perspective and reduce perceived taxpayer-funded use of contested language, improving internal consistency but risking diplomatic friction, added administrative costs, slower communications, and greater domestic polarization.
State and federal officials: preserves the ability to meet treaty and legal obligations and lets the Secretary of State grant exceptions when national interests require, so diplomatic and legal commitments can continue where necessary.
Federal, state, and local agencies (and the public they serve): creates a single, uniform U.S. terminology across statutes and official materials, reducing ambiguity for agencies that administer programs in the region.
Taxpayers and federal employees: avoids funding communications that use terminology some lawmakers view as politically sensitive, reducing perceptions that U.S. funds are being used to promote a contested term.
Foreign governments, international partners, and U.S. diplomatic efforts: renaming (and discouraging use of 'West Bank') risks diplomatic friction, could complicate negotiations, and may harm treaty implementation or cooperation despite limited exceptions.
Federal agencies and diplomats: restricting use of the widely accepted term can hinder clear diplomatic communication and consistency in international engagement.
Federal, state, and local governments and taxpayers: will face administrative updates (maps, forms, guidance) and short-term economic costs to implement renaming and amend statutes and materials.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires federal materials to use "Judea and Samaria" instead of "West Bank," bans federal funds for producing materials using "West Bank" (with a State waiver), and renames those phrases in listed statutes.
Official title: To prohibit the use of materials that use the term "West Bank", and for other purposes.
Introduced January 31, 2025 by Claudia Tenney · Last progress January 31, 2025
Requires the U.S. Government to stop using the term “West Bank” in federal materials and to instead use the historic names “Judea” (south of Jerusalem) and “Samaria” (north of Jerusalem). It declares a non‑binding Sense of Congress, bans use of federal funds to produce materials that call the territory the West Bank (with a narrow State waiver), and systematically replaces the phrase “the West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria” in listed federal statutes and headings. The bill changes only terminology in existing laws and restricts how federal agencies may refer to the territory in new guidance, publications, and communications; it does not create new program authorities, alter substantive conditions in the amended statutes, or appropriate funds beyond the existing budgets of agencies implementing the change.