State Contracts

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state investment in and state contracts with entities that engage in boycotts of Israel or companies based in Israel or illegal Israeli settlements. The bill requires the state to create a blacklist of corporations, non-profits, and groups engaged in prohibited boycotts. State agencies may not enter into contracts with blacklisted entities, and contractors must provide written certification that they are not on the blacklist. The bill also prohibits investment of public retirement funds in blacklisted entities. Similar bills have failed to pass in previous sessions. Related bills: A02093

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state investment in and state contracts with entities that engage in boycotts of Israel or companies based in Israel or illegal Israeli settlements. The bill requires the state to create a blacklist of corporations, non-profits, and groups engaged in prohibited boycotts. State agencies may not enter into contracts with blacklisted entities, and contractors must provide written certification that they are not on the blacklist. The bill also prohibits investment of public retirement funds in blacklisted entities. Similar bills have failed to pass in previous sessions. Related bills: S 04479.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state investment in and state contracts with entities that engage in boycotts of allied nations, including Israel, or companies based in allied nations or territories occupied by allied nations. The bill requires the state to create a blacklist of corporations, non-profits, and groups engaged in prohibited boycotts. State agencies may not enter into contracts with blacklisted entities, and contractors must provide written certification that they are not on the blacklist. The state comptroller and public retirement funds are prohibited from investing in entities engaged in prohibited boycotts. Similar bills have failed to pass in previous sessions.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with and investments in entities that boycott Israel. It amends New York’s retirement and social security law and state finance law to prohibit the state comptroller from investing in entities engaging in boycotts against Israel, mandating divestment from any companies that engage in such activity. This bill also requires the creation of a public blacklist of companies found to boycott Israel. Additionally, this bill prohibits the state from entering into contracts with entities that boycott Israel. Similar bills have failed to pass in previous sessions.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with a company for goods or services unless the contract includes a written certification that the company does not, and for the duration of the contract will not, engage in boycott activity against Israel or illegal Israeli settlements. This bill exempts contracts with a value of less than one hundred thousand dollars or with companies with fewer than ten full-time employees. Additionally, this bill prohibits public entities from adopting any procurement, investment, or other policies that have the effect of “allowing, inducing, or requiring a person or company” to boycott Israel or illegal settlements, a provision that targets divestment or other BDS campaigns at public universities.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits any public entity from entering into a contract with a company unless the contract includes a written certification that the company is not engaged in, and agrees for the duration of the contract not to engage in, a boycott of Israel or illegal Israeli settlements. The bill exempts contracts with a value of less than one hundred thousand dollars or with companies with less than 10 employees. The version that passed out of the House removed the monetary threshold. The bill also prohibits the state investment board from adopting any investment policy that would “have the effect of requiring or inducing any person to boycott Israel.” 

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with companies, including non-profits, that boycott Israel or entities “authorized, licensed, or organized to do business by the State of Israel,” which would encompass illegal Israeli 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 $100,000 and contractors that have fewer than 10 employees.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits any public body from contracting with entities that boycott Israel or illegal Israeli settlements. Contractors are required to certify in writing that they will not boycott Israel for the duration of the contract. These written certifications are to be made publicly available. The bill applies to contracts in excess of $100,000 with any contractor having more than 10 employees. Contractors that boycott in violation of these requirements will be subject to civil penalties an amount equal to three times the contract. Additionally, this bill bars institutions of higher education from boycotting Israel and requires the board of each public institution of higher education to certify in writing that they will not boycott Israel or illegal Israeli settlements. Related bill: HB 1898.

HB 1898 is an anti-boycott bill that prohibits public bodies in Virginia from contracting with entities that engage in boycott activity against Israel or entities “authorized by, licensed by, or organized under the laws of the State of Israel,” which encompass illegal Israeli settlements. This bill requires potential contractors to certify that they will not boycott Israel during the performance of the contract and applies to contracts worth over $100,000 and to contractors with more than 10 employees. The contractor is also required to impose the written certification on subcontracts or purchases over $10,000. Earlier versions of the bill included a civil penalty of three times the amount of the contract for violations of these requirements. It also prohibited public institutions of higher education in Virginia from boycotting Israel and imposed written certification requirements. Related bills: SB 1375.

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.