In Effect

This non-binding resolution takes aim at Ben & Jerry’s 2021 announcement that it would stop doing business in illegal Israeli settlements. Ben & Jerry’s and its London-based parent company, Unilever, have come under attack from Israel and its allies who have called for states to use anti-boycott laws to divest from Unilever. The resolution declares it inconsistent with Oklahoma’s anti-boycott law (HB 3967) for Oklahoma to invest any state funds in companies such as Unilever that decide not to do business with illegal settlements. Although Oklahoma’s anti-boycott law targets only state contracts and not investments, the resolution calls on the State Treasurer and Comptroller to divest the state and its retirement funds of all Unilever investments. 

HB 2673 is an antisemitism redefinition bill that requires state agencies and public educational institutions to consider the distorted IHRA definition of antisemitism in assessing discrimination allegations in Tennessee’s public schools and universities. The bill specifically references the IHRA definition’s “contemporary examples of antisemitism” which include the following as examples of antisemitism related to Israel: “[a]pplying a double standards” to Israel,” or “[d]enying the Jewish people the right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.” The definition is so broad and vague that it could encompass nearly any criticism of Israel, circumscribing political speech in support of Palestinian rights, potentially in violation of the First Amendment. 

This antisemitism redefinition bill amends Iowa’s Civil Rights Act to adopt a distorted definition of antisemitism that could encompass any and all criticism of Israel, circumscribing protected political speech activities. The bill requires the consideration of the problematic IHRA definition, including the contemporary examples, such as “Applying a double standard to the State of Israel by requiring behavior of the State of Israel that is not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation, or focusing peace or human rights investigations only on the State of Israel,” when investigating discrimination complaints. As a result, political speech supportive of Palestinian rights could be deemed unlawful discrimination in the workplace, in public accommodations, and in educational institutions in Iowa. The governor signed the bill in March 2022, and it went into effect in July 2022. Related bill: SF 2183. 

This bill, formerly HSB 639, amends Iowa’s 2016 anti-boycott law (HF 2331), and expands the definition of companies subject to the law  to include a “wholly owned subsidiary, majority-owned subsidiary, parent company, or affiliate of such business or business.”

Iowa’s anti-boycott law requires state entities to create a blacklist of entities that boycott Israel and territories it occupies. The law prohibits state entities from investing in or contracting with blacklisted entities for contracts of $1,000 or more.  The amendments in HF 2373 are specifically aimed at Ben & Jerry’s and in response to the ice cream company’s 2021 announcement that it would stop doing business in illegal Israeli settlements. Ben and Jerry’s and its London-based parent company, Unilever, have come under attack from Israel and its allies who have called for states to use anti-boycott laws to divest from Unilever. The bill went into effect in July 2022. Related bill: SF 2265.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with companies, including nonprofits, that boycott Israel or its illegal settlements. Contractors must provide a written certification that they are not and will not for the duration of the contract engage in such boycotts. The bill excludes contracts whose total value is less than $250,000 and contractors with fewer than 10 employees. A similar bill targeting boycotts for Palestinian rights was introduced in 2018 and failed to pass. Related bills: HB 2050, HB 2136. The bill passed and went into effect in July 2022.

HB 3257 is an antisemitism redefinition bill that incorporates the problematic examples found in the distorted IHRA definition of antisemitism and establishes the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission. The IHRA definition’s contemporary examples conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism and include “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” and “Applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.” The bill requires the advisory commission to prepare a biennial report on antisemitism in Texas based on this definition and to provide advice and assistance to public and private educational institutions regarding methods of combating antisemitism. The law went into effect in September 2021. 

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with companies that boycott Israel or persons or entities doing business in Israel or territories it occupies. Contractors must provide a written certification that they are not and will not for the duration of the contract engage in boycotts of Israel. The bill excludes contracts whose total value is less than $100,000 and contractors that have fewer than 10 full time employees. An earlier version of the bill would have created a blacklist and prohibited state investment in companies that boycott Israel. A similar bill was also introduced this session (SB 351). The legislature passed HB 2933 in April 2021, and it went into effect in July 2022.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with companies that boycott Israel. Contractors must provide a written certification that they do not and will not for the duration of the contract engage in a boycott of Israel. The bill excludes contracts whose total value is less than $100,000 and contractors that have fewer than 10 full time employees. The bill applies to boycott actions targeting Israel; individuals or companies based in Israel; and companies authorized or licensed by Israel, a provision that would reach boycotts targeting illegal settlements. Similar bills have failed to pass in previous sessions (SB 219). The legislature passed SB 186, and the law went into effect in May 2021.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with a company, including non-profits, unless the company signs a written certification that they are not currently and will not for the duration of the contract engage in boycotts of the state of Israel or territories under its control. This prohibition does not include contracts less than $100,000 or with companies that have fewer than 10 employees. The bill passed in April 2021. A nearly identical bill was defeated in 2020 (SB 1402).

This bill amends the state’s 2016 anti-boycott law to exclude sole proprietorships, companies employing five or fewer employees, and contracts valued at less than $100,000 from the prohibition on state contracts with entities that engage in boycotts of Israel. The bill applies to boycotts targeting Israel, companies doing business in Israel, and companies licensed or authorized by Israel, which would encompass boycotts targeting illegal settlements. The amendments would limit the law’s application to those contracts whose subject matter is or might be affected by participation in the boycott. A similar bill was introduced in 2020 (HB 1058). These amendments would likely mean that Georgia’s anti-boycott law would not apply to individuals like journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin who is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the University System of Georgia for cancelling her speaking engagement following her refusal to sign a written certification not to boycott Israel.