S. 3493 — Introduced in Senate

II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 3493 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 13, 2023Mr. Hagerty (for himself, Mr. Cruz, and Mr. Braun) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations A BILL To require certification prior to obligation of funds for United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the UNRWA Reform Act of 2023. 2. Certification prior to obligation of funds to United Nations Relief and Works Agency Prior to the initial obligation of funds for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) appropriated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117–328), the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act (Public Law 118–15), or any other Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives certification, in writing, that— (1) all employees, contractors, and beneficiaries of UNRWA have been vetted in compliance with USAID WBG Mission Order 21–2007 vetting procedures or similar anti-terrorism vetting procedures; (2) during the calendar year that funds are obligated, UNRWA passed an independent audit verifying that all educational curricula used in UNRWA schools contain no evidence of antisemitism and that no teachers have been found to be engaged in antisemitism; (3) all individuals registered as refugees with UNRWA were personally displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war; and (4) during the calendar year that funds are obligated, UNRWA has certified in writing to the Secretary of State that UNRWA recognizes as terrorist organizations Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and all other Palestinian organizations designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States.