[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1409 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1409
To impose sanctions against the PLO or the Palestinian Authority if the
President determines that those entities have failed to substantially
comply with commitments made to the State of Israel.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 6, 2001
Mr. McConnell (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Schumer,
Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Clinton, Mrs. Carnahan, Mrs. Boxer, Mr.
Torricelli, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Cleland, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Johnson, and Mr.
Inouye) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To impose sanctions against the PLO or the Palestinian Authority if the
President determines that those entities have failed to substantially
comply with commitments made to the State of Israel.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Middle East Peace Compliance Act of
2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On September 9, 1993, Palestinian Liberation
Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat made the following
commitments in an exchange of letters with Prime Minister of
Israel Yitzhak Rabin:
(A) ``The PLO recognizes the right of the State of
Israel to exist in peace and security.''.
(B) ``The PLO accepts United Nations Security
Council Resolutions 242 and 338'' pertaining to the
cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a
just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
(C) ``The PLO commits itself to the Middle East
peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the
conflict between the two sides and declares that all
outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be
resolved through negotiations.''.
(D) ``The PLO considers that the signing of the
Declaration of Principles constitutes a historic event,
inaugurating a new epoch of peaceful coexistence, free
from violence and all other acts which endanger peace
and stability. Accordingly, the PLO renounces the use
of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume
responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in
order to assure their compliance, prevent violence and
discipline violators.''.
(E) ``In view of the promise of a new era and the
signing of the Declaration of Principles and based on
Palestinian acceptance of Security Council Resolutions
242 and 338, the PLO affirms that those articles of the
Palestinian Covenant which deny Israel's right to
exist, and the provisions of the Covenant which are
inconsistent with the commitments of this letter are
now inoperative and no longer valid.''.
(2) The Palestinian Authority, the governing body of
autonomous Palestinian territories, was created as a result of
the agreements between the PLO and the State of Israel that are
a direct outgrowth of the September 9, 1993, commitments.
(3) The United States Congress has provided authorities to
the President to suspend certain statutory restrictions
relating to the PLO, subject to Presidential certification that
the PLO has continued to abide by commitments made.
SEC. 3. REPORTS.
(a) In General.--The President shall, at the times specified in
subsection (b), transmit to Congress a report--
(1) detailing and assessing the steps that the PLO or the
Palestinian Authority, as appropriate, has taken to
substantially comply with its 1993 commitments, as specified in
section 2(1) of this Act;
(2) a description of the steps taken by the PLO or the
Palestinian Authority, as appropriate, to investigate and
prosecute those responsible for violence against American and
Israeli citizens;
(3) making a determination as to whether the PLO or the
Palestinian Authority, as appropriate, has substantially
complied with such commitments during the period since the
submission of the preceding report, or, in the case of the
initial report, during the preceding 6-month period; and
(4) detailing progress made in determining the designation
of the PLO, or one or more of its constituent groups (including
Fatah and Tanzim) or groups operating as arms of the
Palestinian Authority (including Force 17) as a foreign
terrorist organization, in accordance with section 219(a) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act.
(b) Transmission.--The initial report required under subsection (a)
shall be transmitted not later than 30 days after the date of enactment
of this Act. Each subsequent report shall be submitted on the date on
which the President is next required to submit a report under the PLO
Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 (title VIII of Public Law 101-246)
and may be combined with such report.
SEC. 4. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.
(a) In General.--If, in any report transmitted pursuant to section
3, the President determines that the PLO or Palestinian Authority, as
appropriate, has not substantially complied with the commitments
specified in section 2(1), the following sanctions shall apply:
(1) Suspension of assistance.--The President shall suspend
all United States assistance to the West Bank and Gaza except
for humanitarian assistance.
(2) Additional sanction or sanctions.--The President shall
impose one or more of the following sanctions:
(A) Denial of visas to plo and palestinian
authority figures.--The President shall prohibit the
Secretary of State from issuance of any visa for any
member of the PLO or any official of the Palestinian
Authority.
(B) Downgrade in status of plo office in the united
states.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the President shall withdraw or terminate any waiver by
the President of the requirements of section 1003 of
the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1988 and
1989 (22 U.S.C. 5202) (prohibiting the establishment or
maintenance of a Palestinian information office in the
United States), and such section shall apply so as to
prohibit the operation of a PLO or Palestinian
Authority office in the United States from carrying out
any function other than those functions carried out by
the Palestinian information office in existence prior
to the Oslo Accord.
(b) Duration of Sanctions.--The period of time referred to in
subsection (a) is the period of time commencing on the date that the
report pursuant to section 3 was transmitted and ending on the later
of--
(1) the date that is 6 months after such date;
(2) the date that the next report under section 3 is
required to be transmitted; or
(3) the date, if any, on which the President determines and
informs Congress that the conditions that were the basis for
imposing the sanctions are no longer valid.
(c) Waiver Authority.--The President may waive any or all of the
sanctions imposed under this Act if the President determines that such
a waiver is in the national security interest of the United States, and
reports such a determination to the appropriate committees of Congress.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE; TERMINATION DATE.
(a) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect on the date of
enactment of this Act.
(b) Termination Date.--This Act shall cease to be effective 5 years
after the date of enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9199-9200)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9201)
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