Sponsors (7)
The bill restores life-saving U.S. humanitarian funding to Palestinians and increases oversight to push UNRWA reforms, but it raises federal costs, risks delays if conditions are contested, and creates diplomatic and privacy tensions.
Palestinian refugees and other civilians in Gaza and UNRWA-served areas will receive resumed U.S. humanitarian assistance (food, medical, shelter), reducing immediate risks of famine, disease, and displacement.
U.S. oversight and transparency over UNRWA will increase because the Secretary must report quickly and quarterly through 2028 and funding is tied to implementing Independent Review Group recommendations, improving monitoring and accountability of aid delivery.
Restoring funding and encouraging information-sharing and implementation of review recommendations can stabilize humanitarian operations, help investigate alleged neutrality violations, and therefore reduce acute crises that affect regional security and trust in UNRWA.
U.S. taxpayers may face increased federal spending to resume and sustain funding for UNRWA, raising fiscal costs for the federal government.
Conditioning funding on implementation of review recommendations (or strict benchmarks) could delay or complicate the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to people in need.
Requests or pressure to disclose personnel information may raise privacy and due-process concerns for accused UNRWA staff and could create diplomatic friction with Israel over sensitive information-sharing.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Reinstates U.S. funding and policy toward UNRWA by repealing prior restrictions, rescinding a related executive order, and requiring oversight tied to an independent review.
Introduced March 6, 2025 by Peter Welch · Last progress March 6, 2025
Restores U.S. funding, policy, and oversight for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees by repealing recent statutory funding restrictions and directing the executive branch to resume funding immediately. It urges cooperation from Israel and UN member states on an independent review’s recommendations, requires the Secretary of State to resume and report on funding and implementation, and directs the President to rescind an executive order that had withdrawn U.S. funding from certain U.N. organizations.