II 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1860 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 14, 2011 Mr. Coats introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations A BILL To clarify prohibitions on funding for any United Nations entity that admits Palestine as a member state.

1.

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)The decision by the membership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to admit the Palestinian Authority as a full member state of the organization is counterproductive, harms efforts to reach a negotiated, lasting, and just peace in the Middle East, and is contrary to United States interests. (2)The Palestinian Authority may use this vote as a precedent to pursue membership in other United Nations affiliated organizations, contrary to the best interests of those organizations and the Palestinians themselves. (3)Palestinian statehood can emerge only from negotiations with Israel, not from actions by third parties, including the United Nations and its affiliated organizations. (4)Existing United States law prohibits appropriation of funds for the United Nations or any specialized agency affiliated with the United Nations that grant full membership as a state to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood. (5)The President does not have the discretion to identify alternative methods of providing funds to any United Nations agency that admits Palestine as a member state.

2.

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that any effort by the President to provide funds to any United Nations agency that admits Palestine as a member state would be a violation of section 410 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103–236; 108 Stat. 454; 22 U.S.C. 287e note) or section 414 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101–246; 104 Stat. 70; 22 U.S.C. 287e note).