Sponsors (2)
The bill standardizes U.S. government terminology to increase clarity and oversight, but does so at the cost of likely diplomatic friction, domestic polarization, added administrative expenses, and legal/implementation uncertainty.
Federal agencies, statutes, and documents will use a single, consistent geographic name ('Judea and Samaria'), reducing ambiguity in official language and legal references.
Diplomats, media, and program implementers will have clearer, more uniform terminology to use across communications and program administration, making messaging and statutory implementation more consistent.
The Secretary of State must report to Congress within 30 days when waiving the naming requirement, increasing executive accountability and congressional oversight of diplomatic communications.
U.S. diplomatic relations and multilateral engagement could be strained—with allies, international partners, and Palestinian authorities—by adopting a politically charged name, risking diplomatic friction and policy confusion.
The change may be perceived domestically as taking a partisan position on a contested territory, inflaming tensions and harming social cohesion among immigrant and Arab communities in the U.S.
Agencies and contractors will face administrative costs and operational burdens—updating materials, databases, and compliance processes or seeking waivers—which will divert staff time and taxpayer resources.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 4, 2025 by Thomas Bryant Cotton · Last progress February 4, 2025
Requires the U.S. government to stop using the term "West Bank" in official materials and instead use the historical names "Judea and Samaria," with legal text in many federal statutes changed to match. It bars use of federal funds to prepare materials that call "Judea and Samaria" the "West Bank," while allowing an exception to meet treaty obligations and a Secretary of State waiver for U.S. interests (with a 30-day notice to Congress). No new programs or funding are created.