Sponsors (79)
Reinstates U.S. funding to UNRWA, repeals prior restrictions, rescinds a 2025 Executive Order, and mandates accountability reporting on an independent review.
Official title: To restore funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Introduced March 27, 2025 by André Carson · Last progress March 27, 2025
The bill restores predictable U.S. funding to UNRWA to preserve lifesaving services and strengthen oversight and diplomatic leverage, at the cost of additional federal spending and risks that politicization, reliance on external cooperation, or mandated funding rules could delay aid or limit U.S. flexibility.
Palestinian refugees and displaced persons will continue to receive lifesaving humanitarian aid and development services through UNRWA, reducing immediate risks of famine, disease, and homelessness in Gaza and neighboring host countries.
Nonprofits and host communities will get more predictable U.S. funding for UNRWA beginning FY2025, enabling steadier delivery of refugee services across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank.
U.S. policy will increase oversight and accountability (including conditionality and quarterly reporting), improving transparency about how taxpayer dollars are spent and potentially reducing misuse of funds.
U.S. taxpayers will face increased federal spending obligations to fund UNRWA, adding to federal expenditures without identified offsets.
Linking aid to accountability conditions and requiring evidence (including from Israeli authorities) could politicize investigations and slow or complicate the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance if cooperation is delayed.
Some recommended reforms depend on cooperation and extra funding from UN member states; if that cooperation or funding doesn't materialize, UNRWA services could be disrupted and beneficiaries could lose access to aid.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Directs the Secretary of State to resume U.S. funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) immediately, rescinds an executive order that ended U.S. support for certain U.N. organizations, and repeals prior statutory restrictions that blocked aid. It conditions restoration of funding on UNRWA implementing accountability recommendations from an independent review and requires the State Department to report regularly on implementation through December 31, 2028. Affirms congressional policy that UNRWA’s humanitarian and development services for Palestinian refugees should continue across its fields of operation and urges cooperation by U.S. and Israeli authorities to support investigations and implementation of review recommendations; it also signals support for appropriating additional funds for FY2025 and beyond.