Sponsors (12)
The bill standardizes U.S. statutory and some official terminology to reflect a congressional preference (with an exception process), trading clearer alignment for certain constituencies against increased diplomatic risk, operational complexity for agencies, and potential costs to taxpayers.
Federal, state, and local governments (and the federal employees who implement them) will use statutory terminology aligned with the Sense of Congress, producing clearer, more consistent policy language across laws and some official communications.
Federal agencies (through the Secretary of State) can obtain formal exceptions to use alternative terminology when required for treaties, diplomatic engagements, or other U.S. interests, allowing targeted flexibility to avoid diplomatic harm.
Federal agencies and officials will avoid using a specific term in U.S. materials in ways that could reduce diplomatic friction with parties who object to that term, easing certain bilateral interactions.
People in the region (including Palestinians), U.S. foreign-policy stakeholders, allied governments, and affected communities may interpret statutory and terminological changes as a political shift, inflaming tensions and risking diplomatic fallout or reduced cooperation.
Federal agencies, employees, and state/local partners will face reduced flexibility and additional procedural burdens to avoid prohibited terminology, complicating routine communications and requiring reviews or new guidance that slow implementation.
Taxpayers and agency budgets could incur direct administrative and compliance costs to revise documents and systems, and could face indirect fiscal impacts if diplomatic fallout forces changes to aid, security commitments, or legal/policy work.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires federal materials and specified statutes to use 'Judea and Samaria' instead of 'the West Bank,' with narrow treaty and waiver exceptions.
Requires the U.S. Government to stop using the term “the West Bank” in official materials and instead use the historical names “Judea and Samaria” (south and north of Jerusalem, respectively). It adds a nonbinding congressional statement urging this naming, prohibits federal funds from producing materials that call the area the “West Bank” (with a treaty exception and a State Department waiver option), and amends existing U.S. statutes to replace references to “the West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria.”
Introduced January 31, 2025 by Claudia Tenney · Last progress January 31, 2025