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This anti-boycott law prohibits state investment by state retirement funds in companies that boycott Israel. The law calls on the public employees retirement association to create a blacklist of restricted companies and to divest from these companies. It defines restricted companies as those that engage in “actions that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or otherwise limit commercial relations with the state of Israel, including, but not limited to, the boycott of, divestment from, or imposition of sanctions on the state of Israel.”   

This anti-boycott law prohibits state contracts with and state investments in entities, including individuals, that boycott Israel or territories controlled by Israel. For state contracts, the law requires written certification that entities do not and will not boycott Israel. The law excludes contracts under $1,000 and contractors who bid 20% less than other bidders. The law also calls for the creation of a blacklist of companies that boycott Israel and requires public retirement systems to divest from these companies. Companies can remove themselves from the blacklist by submitting a written certification that they will not boycott Israel for the duration of any investment by the public entity.

In December 2018, The Arkansas Times sued to challenge the law arguing that it should not be compelled to speak against boycotts for Palestinian rights. In January 2019 the district court dismissed the case. In February 2021, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law as unconstitutional. The state moved for a larger panel of judges to rehear the case. In June 2022, the Eighth Circuit, sitting en banc, upheld the Arkansas law, ignoring precedent and history to find that SB 513 restricts purely commercial conduct that carries no political message and thus does not violate the First Amendment.

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state contracts with entities that boycott Israel. Contractors must provide a written certification that they are not and will not engage in boycotts for the duration of the contract. It excludes contracts worth less than $15,000 or contractors who bid at least 20% less than other bidders. Lawmakers passed the companion bill SB 81. 

This non-binding resolution calls for the US to continue to oppose future UN Security Council resolutions that “seek to impose solutions to final status issues, or are one-sided and anti-Israel.” UN Security Council Resolution 2334 reaffirmed that Israel’s illegal settlements constitute a flagrant violation of international law. The US broke from its practice of blocking UN accountability measures focused on Israel and abstained rather than vetoing the resolution, causing consternation among pro-Israel groups. HRes 23 also states that the US “steadfastly opposes boycotts, divestment campaigns and sanctions targeting the State of Israel.” 

This anti-boycott bill prohibits state investments in entities that boycott Israel or companies based in Israel or territories controlled by Israel. The bill calls for the creation of a blacklist of companies that boycott Israel and requires public retirement systems to divest from these companies. The bill does not require divestment if investments in companies on the blacklist are less than 0.5% of the value of a retirement system’s holdings.

Alabama lawmakers passed a joint resolution condemning boycotts for Palestinian rights and falsely claiming that boycott campaigns on college campuses result in animosity, intimidation, and violence against Jewish students in Alabama. The Christian Zionist anti-Muslim Proclaiming Justice to the Nations led the lobbying effort, calling for the Alabama legislation to be a model for other states.