[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 883. Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. Van Hollen) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2226, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle F of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1282. REPORT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY IN OCCUPIED 
                   WEST BANK.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
     Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate committees 
     of Congress a report that assesses the status of Israeli 
     settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
       (b) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall include the following with respect to Israeli 
     settlement activity in the West Bank:
       (1) The number of permits, tenders, and housing starts 
     approved by the Government of Israel for settlement 
     construction and the locations concerned.
       (2) The number and locations of new outposts established 
     without the approval of the Government of Israel.
       (3) The number and locations of outposts established 
     without the approval of the Government of Israel that were 
     retroactively legalized by Israeli authorities.
       (4) The number and locations of settlements and outposts 
     that are situated, in whole or in part, on land owned by 
     Palestinians.
       (5) An analysis of new infrastructure approved or built in 
     the West Bank and which populations it will benefit from its 
     use.
       (6) An assessment of the impact of settlements and outposts 
     on--
       (A) the freedom of movement, livelihoods, and quality of 
     life of Palestinians; and
       (B) the potential for establishing in the future a viable 
     Palestinian state.
       (7) The number and locations of demolitions of homes, 
     schools, businesses, agricultural holdings, infrastructure, 
     or other property owned by, or primarily serving, 
     Palestinians.
       (8) The number and locations of evictions of Palestinians 
     from their places of residence.
       (9) The number of building permits issued for Palestinians 
     in East Jerusalem and the West Bank territory designated 
     under the Oslo Accords as `` `Area C'', as well as the number 
     of building permits requested by Palestinians in those areas.
       (10) A description of any changes made to Israel's 
     administration of the occupied territory and an analysis of 
     the compatibility of these changes with international law 
     governing military occupation.
       (11) The amount of money budgeted by Israeli authorities 
     for settlements and the infrastructure that serves them.
       (12) An analysis of the impact any change in the matters 
     described in paragraphs (1) through (11) would have on--
       (A) the potential for establishing a viable, contiguous 
     Palestinian state alongside Israel;
       (B) the diplomatic posture of the United States globally; 
     and
       (C) the national security of the United States.
       (c) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
     Armed Services, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of 
     the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
     Armed Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on 
     Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
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