Anti-boycott

This anti-boycott bill amends Kansas’ previous law (HB 2409) to remove individuals, sole proprietors, and contracts worth less than $100,000 from the purview of the state contract prohibition. The bill requires contractors to sign a written certification that they are “not currently engaged in a boycott of goods or services from Israel that constitutes an integral part of business conducted or sought to be conducted with the state.” Related legislation: HB 2482 (passed).

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with and state investment in entities, including sole proprietorships and non-profits, that boycott Israel or territories occupied by Israel. The bill requires contractors to sign a written certification that they do not and will not engage in boycotts of Israel. It excludes contracts worth less than $1,000 or contractors who bid at least 20% less than other bidders. The bill calls for the creation of a blacklist of companies that boycott Israel and prohibits public retirement systems from investing in these companies. It also prohibits Arizona public entities from boycotting Israel, a provision aimed at discouraging divestment campaigns at public universities.

A federal court blocked enforcement of the law in September 2018, finding the plaintiff was likely to succeed in showing that the law violates his First Amendment rights and that the state’s continued enforcement of it would cause him irreparable harm. In 2019, Arizona amended the law (SB 1167) so it no longer applied to individuals like the plaintiff. The amendments altered the prohibitions related to state contracts, leaving in place those related to state investments.

This anti-boycott law amends Arizona’s 2016 law (HB 2617) to exclude sole proprietors, companies with fewer than 10 employees, and contracts worth less than $100,000 from the prohibition on state contracts with companies that boycott Israel or territories occupied by Israel. A federal court blocked enforcement of HB 2617 in September 2018, finding that the law would likely violate the First Amendment. These amendments, which are designed to remove the plaintiffs challenging the law from its reach, may reduce the number of individuals affected by the law, but fail to resolve the underlying constitutional issues.  

The amended law leaves in place the written certification requirement for state contractors as well as the creation of a blacklist of companies in which state retirement plans are prohibited from investing.  

This anti-boycott law requires state entities to create a blacklist of “businesses and business entities that are publicly traded and not based in the United States” 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. It also requires state funds to divest from blacklisted companies. Blacklisted companies can be removed from the blacklist upon written certification that they no longer boycott Israel. Related bills: SF 2281.

This anti-boycott bill requires state entities to create a blacklist of “businesses and business entities that are publicly traded and not based in the United States” 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. It also requires state funds to divest from blacklisted companies. Blacklisted companies can be removed from the blacklist upon written notification that they no longer boycott Israel. SF 2281’s companion bill, HF 2331, was passed into law.

This anti-boycott law requires the Indiana public retirement system board of trustees to create a blacklist of for-profit businesses that engage or acquiesce in efforts to “limit commercial relations with the Jewish state of Israel or businesses that are based in the Jewish state of Israel or territories controlled by the Jewish state of Israel.” The law requires public retirement funds to divest direct holdings from blacklisted companies. The preambular language smears BDS campaigns as damaging to peace and justice, harmful for Palestinian workers, and creating a climate of fear on Indiana’s college campuses.

This anti-boycott law requires the creation of a state-run blacklist of foreign companies that boycott Israel and “territories controlled by Israel,” and compels the state’s pension fund to divest from and prohibit investment in those companies. Related bills: HB 4011. 

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state agencies from entering into or renewing contracts with entities that boycott Israel or other jurisdictions with which Illinois is not prohibited from doing business. Contractors must provide a written certification that they do not and will not engage in boycotts for the duration of the contract. 

This anti-boycott bill requires state contracts to include a written certification that the contractor is not and will not for the duration of the contract engage in a boycott of Israel or companies doing business in Israel. The bill applies to companies, including non-profits, with 10 or more employees and contracts of $100,000 or more. Related Bills: SB 739 (signed into law), SB 544, SB 594, HB 1344, HB 1738.

This anti-boycott bill requires the creation of a state-run blacklist of foreign companies that boycott Israel and “territories controlled by Israel,” and compels the state’s pension fund to divest from and prohibit investment in those companies. Its companion bill (SB 1761) was passed into law in 2015.