text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``PLO Accountability Act of 2017''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds the following:
              (1) The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Mission 
          office, representing the PLO, and by extension, the Palestinian 
          Authority (PA), in Washington, DC, was opened in 1994 in order 
          to implement the Oslo Accords, which initiated direct 
          negotiations between the PLO and the Government of Israel.
              (2) Section 1003 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 (Public 
          Law 100-204; 22 U.S.C. 5202), makes it unlawful to ``establish 
          or maintain an office, headquarters, premises, or other 
          facilities or establishments within the jurisdiction of the 
          United States at the behest or direction of, or with funds 
          provided by the Palestine Liberation Organization or any of its 
          constituent groups, any successor to any of those, or any 
          agents thereof''.
              (3) Using various authorities, the executive branch has 
          waived the provisions of section 1003 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 
          of 1987.
              (4) Article XXXI, clause 7, of the Israeli-Palestinian 
          Interim Agreement on the Status of the West Bank and the Gaza 
          Strip (September 28, 1995) states that ``Neither side shall 
          initiate or take any step that will change the status of the 
          West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the 
          permanent status negotiations''.
              (5) In January 2009, the PLO sent a declaration to the 
          International Criminal Court under Article 12(3) of the Rome 
          Statute of the International Criminal Court on behalf of the 
          Palestinian Authority.
              (6) On October 31, 2011, the United Nations Educational, 
          Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to admit 
          the ``State of Palestine'' as its 195th full member. Since 
          being admitted, the Palestinians have used UNESCO to pass anti-
          Israel resolutions, including a recent effort to deny the 
          historical connection of the Jewish people to holy sites 
          including the Temple Mount and Western Wall in Jerusalem.
              (7) On November 29, 2012, the United Nations General 
          Assembly voted to accord the ``State of Palestine'' status as a 
          nonmember observer State at the United Nations.
              (8) On April 2, 2014, the PLO joined the Geneva Conventions 
          as well as 13 other organizations.
              (9) On January 2, 2015, the PLO acceded to the Rome 
          Statute, and on January 16, 2015, the Prosecutor of the 
          International Criminal Court opened a ``preliminary examination 
          of the situation in Palestine'' after accepting jurisdiction of 
          the International Criminal Court over ``alleged crimes 
          committed in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East 
          Jerusalem, since June 13, 2014''.
              (10) The PLO's decision to accede to the Rome Statute as 
          well as several international organizations is an attempt to 
          change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip outside 
          of direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.
              (11) On January 7, 2015, the Department of State's Office 
          of the Spokesperson stated, ``we have made clear our opposition 
          to Palestinian action in seeking to join the Rome Statute of 
          the International Criminal Court''.
              (12) On April 1, 2015, the ``State of Palestine'' 
          officially became a member of the International Criminal Court.
              (13) The PLO and PA continue to engage in incitement and 
          glorify terrorism, and reward terrorists, their families, and 
          the families of those who died committing terrorist attacks 
          with roughly $300,000,000 annually in salaries and benefits, 
          providing a higher reward to those with longer jail sentences.
              (14) On August 30, 2016, Deputy Secretary of State, Anthony 
          J. Blinken, submitted to Congress a report as required under 
          section 804(b) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
          Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101-246), sections 603 
          and 604 of the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002 
          (subtitle A of title VI of Public Law 107-228), and section 699 
          of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 
          (Public Law 107-228).
              (15) In this report, Deputy Secretary of State Blinken, 
          acting under authority delegated to him as Deputy Secretary 
          pursuant to the President's Delegation of Functions on April 
          30, 2009, made the determination that ``the PLO and PA are not 
          in compliance with certain commitments to prevent violations, 
          discipline violators, and assume responsibility over all PLO 
          elements . . . thus the sanction specified in section 604(a)(2) 
          of [Public Law 107-228], calling for a downgrade in status of 
          the PLO office in Washington, DC, has been imposed''.
              (16) On January 31, 2017, then Acting Secretary of State, 
          Thomas Shannon, pursuant to the President's Delegation of 
          Functions dated April 30, 2009, submitted to Congress a similar 
          report to Congress as required under section 804(b) of the 
          Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 
          1991, sections 603 and 604 of the Middle East Peace Commitments 
          Act of 2002, and section 699 of the Foreign Relations 
          Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003, in which the same 
          determination was made that the PLO and PA are not in 
          compliance with their commitments, and imposed the same 
          sanction of a downgrade in the status of the PLO office in 
          Washington, DC.
              (17) In both the August 30, 2016, and January 31, 2017, 
          reports, the sanctions were immediately waived.
              (18) Section 604(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
          Act, Fiscal Year 2003 requires that if the President determines 
          that the PLO or the Palestinian Authority has not complied with 
          each of the commitments specified in such section, the 
          President shall impose one or more of the following sanctions:
                      (A) The denial of visas to PLO and PA officials.
                      (B) The downgrade in status of the PLO office in 
                  the United States.
                      (C) The designation as a foreign terrorist 
                  organization of the PLO, or one or more of its 
                  constituent groups (including Fatah).
                      (D) The prohibition on United States assistance to 
                  the West Bank and Gaza (except humanitarian 
                  assistance).
  
  SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
  
      It is the sense of Congress that--
              (1) the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has failed 
          to live up to its commitment to a bilateral peace process with 
          Israel, renounce violence, accept Israel's right to exist, 
          honor previous diplomatic agreements made by the Palestinians, 
          and continues to circumvent a negotiated settlement with Israel 
          by seeking unilateral statehood at the United Nations and from 
          other countries, actively endorsing terror, and supporting 
          boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel;
              (2) the Palestinian initiation of an International Criminal 
          Court preliminary examination, investigation, or active support 
          for such an investigation, that subjects Israeli nationals to 
          an investigation for alleged crimes against Palestinians, is 
          part of a deliberate effort to engage in diplomatic, legal 
          warfare against Israel and would violate the Palestinians' 
          commitment to not change the status of the West Bank and Gaza 
          Strip;
              (3) the only path towards solving the conflict is through 
          direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians;
              (4) the Palestinians should not turn to outside parties, 
          including international organizations, to impose or otherwise 
          influence a solution;
              (5) it is in the national security interests of the United 
          States to close down the PLO office in Washington, DC; and
              (6) the executive branch should avail itself of the range 
          of sanctions as allowed under the authority to impose sanctions 
          under section 604 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
          Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228) in order to hold the 
          Palestinian leadership accountable.
  
  SEC. 4. PROHIBITIONS REGARDING THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION 
                UNDER THE ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 1987.
  
      Section 1003 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 (22 U.S.C. 5202) is 
  amended--
              (1) by striking ``It shall be unlawful'' and inserting 
          ``(a) In General.--It shall be unlawful''; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(b) Waiver.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
  including section 604 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
  Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228), the President may waive for a 
  period of not more than 6 months the provisions of subsection (a) if 
  the President determines and certifies in writing to Congress, not 
  later than 45 days before the waiver is to take effect, that--
              ``(1)(A) the Palestinians have not, on or after January 1, 
          2017, obtained in the United Nations or any specialized agency 
          thereof the same standing as member states or full membership 
          as a state outside an agreement negotiated between Israel and 
          the Palestinians;
              ``(B) the Palestinians have officially ceased to be members 
          of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and have withdrawn 
          from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;
              ``(C) any preliminary examination or ongoing investigation 
          against Israel, the Government of Israel, the Israeli Armed or 
          Security Forces, or any Israeli national initiated by, or on 
          behalf of, the Palestinians, or referred to the ICC by a state 
          party, the United Nations Security Council, or a Pre-Trial 
          Chamber has been withdrawn and terminated;
              ``(D) the PLO and the Palestinian Authority no longer 
          provide any financial award, payment, salary or benefit to 
          Palestinians who have committed terrorist attacks, their 
          families, or the families of those who died committing acts of 
          terrorism;
              ``(E) the PLO and the Palestinian Authority has ceased to 
          engage in a pattern of incitement against or with respect to 
          the United States or Israel; or
              ``(2) the Palestinians have entered into a final negotiated 
          peace agreement with, and have ceased all hostilities against, 
          Israel.
      ``(c) Definition.--In subsection (b)(1)(E), the term `incitement' 
  means to advocate, endorse, or express support for violence, martyrdom, 
  or terrorism, or glorify, honor, or otherwise memorialize any person or 
  group that has advocated, sponsored, or committed acts of terrorism, 
  including the naming after or dedication to such person or group of any 
  school, community center, camp, sports team, stadium, public square, 
  street, land, landmark, waterway, or other facility.''.
target: PLO Accountability Act of 2017 This bill amends the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 to authorize the President to waive for up to six months the prohibition against establishment or maintenance of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) offices, headquarters, premises, or other facilities within U.S. jurisdiction if the President certifies to Congress that the Palestinians have entered into a final negotiated peace agreement with, and have ceased hostilities against, Israel or that:   the Palestinians have not, on or after January 1, 2017, obtained state standing in the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof outside an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians;  the Palestinians have officially ceased to be International Criminal Court (ICC) members and have withdrawn from the Rome Statute of the ICC;  any ICC investigation against Israel initiated by, or on behalf of, the Palestinians has been withdrawn and terminated; the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA) no longer provide financial awards, payments, salaries, or benefits to Palestinians who have committed terrorist attacks, their families, or the families of those who died committing acts of terrorism; and  the PLO and the PA have ceased to engage in a pattern of incitement against the United States or Israel. 
feat_title: PLO Accountability Act of 2017