Bill

This anti-boycott bill requires persons entering into state contracts to provide written certification that they are in full compliance with state anti-discrimination laws and are not and will not for the duration of the contract refuse to do business with any person on the basis of that person’s religion, sex, national original, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The bill does not apply to contracts worth less than $10,000. Boycotts for Palestinian rights based on an entity’s complicity in Israel’s violations do not discriminate on the basis of a protected class and thus fall outside the scope of the bill. However, the lawmakers who put forward these bills have stated their intent to exclude individuals and companies engaged in boycotts for Palestinian rights from state contracts. State-level organizing helped defeat these bills. Related bill: S 1689.

This anti-boycott defunding provision declares that it is the policy of the state to oppose public institutions’ support for boycotts for Palestinian rights and to condemn the American Studies Association’s boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The Maryland legislature adopted the provision as an amendment to its 2015 budget. The provision was introduced following a resolution by the Asian American Studies Association and American Studies Association endorsing the boycott of Israeli academic institutions complicit in Israel’s human rights violations. Standalone bills (HB 998 and SB 647) were introduced during this session that would have imposed penalties on public higher education institutions that directly or indirectly provided funds to entities that supported academic boycotts; these bills failed to pass.  

This anti-boycott defunding bill prohibits public higher education institutions using funds to provide for membership in or travel to meetings of academic entities that engage in or support academic boycotts. Public institutions of higher education that violate this measure will have their state funding reduced by 3% the following year. The bill was introduced following resolutions by the Asian American Studies Association and American Studies Association endorsing the boycott of Israeli academic institutions complicit in Israel’s human rights violations. Related legislation: SB 647.

This anti-boycott defunding bill prohibits public higher education institutions using funds to provide for membership in or travel to meetings of academic entities that engage in or support academic boycotts. Public institutions of higher education that violate this measure will have their state funding reduced by 3% the following year. The bill was introduced following resolutions by the Asian American Studies Association and American Studies Association endorsing the boycott of Israeli academic institutions complicit in Israel’s human rights violations. Related legislation: HB 998.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state investment in and state contracts with individual vendors and companies participating in a boycott of Israel or territories occupied by Israel. The bill requires the creation of a blacklist of entities engaged in prohibited boycotts. Contractors must provide written certification that they are not on the blacklist and are not engaging in prohibited boycotts. State retirement funds are prohibited from investing in blacklisted entities. Civil rights groups and state-level advocates, including the Freedom to Boycott in Maryland coalition, helped defeat the bill. Related bill: SB 739.

LD 882/SP 282 is an anti-boycott bill that prohibits state contracts or grants unless they include a written certification that the person is not currently, and will not for the duration of the contract or grant, boycott Israel. It does not apply to contracts and grants worth less than $1,000 or contractors who bid at least 20% less than other bidders. The bill also prohibits public entities from boycotting Israel or persons or entities doing business in Israel or territories occupied by Israel.

This anti-boycott law prohibits executive branch agencies from contracting with vendors that engage in boycotts of Israel or territories occupied by Israel. Vendors must provide written certification that they are not and will not for the duration of the contract engage in such boycotts. The law applies to contracts worth $100,000 or more and companies with five or more employees. The law codifies an executive order signed in 2018.

HB 685 is an anti-boycott bill that prohibits the public employee retirement fund from investing in companies that engage in boycotts of Israel or territories occupied by Israel. The original and engrossed version of the bill required the state to create a blacklist of companies that boycott Israel to be published and updated by the state treasurer. The version of the bill that passed the House was amended to remove the language targeting boycotts for Palestinian rights. This bill replaced HB 549.

HB 549 is an anti-boycott bill that prohibits the public employee retirement fund from investing in companies that engage in boycotts of Israel or territories occupied by Israel. The bill requires the state to create a blacklist of companies that boycott Israel to be published and updated by the state treasurer. The language targeting boycotts for Palestinian rights was added in a committee substitute version. This bill was replaced by HB 685.

This anti-boycott defunding bill penalizes public postsecondary education institutions that use state aid to fund or provide funds for membership in or travel to meetings of academic entities that engage in or support academic boycotts. Schools that violate the prohibition are not eligible to receive state funds during the academic year in which the violation occurred. The bill was introduced in response to resolutions by the Asian American Studies Association and American Studies Association endorsing the boycott of Israeli academic institutions complicit in Israel’s human rights violations.