EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1394*
HOUSE BILL 1394
D3 5lr0842
HB 1124/24 – JUD
By: Delegates Acevero, Fennell, Martinez, Sample–Hughes, Turner, and Young
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Judiciary
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Civil Actions – Nonprofit Organizations – Unauthorized Support of Israeli 2
Settlement Activity 3
(Not On Our Dime Act) 4
FOR the purpose of prohibiting certain nonprofit organizations from aiding or abetting 5
certain activity by the government of Israel or a citizen of Israel; authorizing the 6
Attorney General or a certain person to bring a certain action against a nonprofit 7
organization that violates this Act; requiring the Secretary of State to remove a 8
nonprofit organization from the Registry of Charitable Solicitation following receipt 9
of certain notice; and generally relating to the prohibition against unauthorized 10
support of Israeli settlement activity by a nonprofit organization. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 13
Section 3–2601 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 26. Nonprofit Organizations – 14
Unauthorized Support of Israeli Settlement Activity” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 20
SUBTITLE 26. NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS – UNAUTHORIZED SUPPORT OF 21
ISRAELI SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY. 22
3–2601. 23
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 24 2 HOUSE BILL 1394
INDICATED. 1
(2) “NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIO N” MEANS AN ORGANIZATIO N EXEMPT 2
FROM TAXATION UNDER § 501(C)(3) OR (4) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. 3
(3) “OCCUPIED TERRITORY ” MEANS THE ISRAELI–OCCUPIED WEST 4
BANK, INCLUDING EAST JERUSALEM. 5
(4) (I) “PROTECTED PERSONS ” MEANS INDIVIDUALS PR OTECTED 6
UNDER GENEVA CONVENTION (IV) RELATIVE TO THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIAN 7
PERSONS IN TIME OF WAR, 12 AUGUST 1949, 6 U.S.T. 3516. 8
(II) “PROTECTED PERSONS ” INCLUDES CIVILIANS I N OCCUPIED 9
TERRITORY IN ACCORDA NCE WITH INTERNATION AL LAW. 10
(5) “UNAUTHORIZED SUPPORT OF ISRAELI SETTLEMENT AC TIVITY” 11
MEANS AIDING AND ABE TTING ACTIVITY OF TH E GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL, OR A 12
CITIZEN OF ISRAEL, THAT IS BANNED UNDER THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS SIGNED 13
AUGUST 12, 1949, AS AMENDED , AND THEIR ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLS, TO WHICH 14
THE UNITED STATES IS A PARTY, INCLUDING THE FOLLOW ING ACTIVITY: 15
(I) THE UNLAWFUL TRANSFER OF ISRAELI CIVILIANS INT O 16
OCCUPIED TERRITORY; 17
(II) ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAI NST PROTECTED PERSON S BY 18
CITIZENS OF ISRAEL LIVING IN OCCU PIED TERRITORIES , INCLUDING: 19
1. ABDUCTION; 20
2. MURDER; 21
3. ASSAULT; 22
4. ARSON; AND 23
5. THE COMMISSION OF ANY ACT DESCRIBED IN ITE MS 1 24
THROUGH 4 OF THIS ITEM USING A FIREARM OR EXPLOSIVE DEVICE; 25
(III) CRIMES AGAINST PROPER TY INCLUDING: 26
1. THE KILLING OR HARMIN G OF ANIMALS AND 27
LIVESTOCK; 28
HOUSE BILL 1394 3
2. THE DESTRUCTION OF TR EES AND CROPS ; 1
3. THE APPROPRIATION , EXPROPRIATION , SEIZURE, 2
DESTRUCTION, DEMOLITION, DISMANTLEMENT , OR CONFISCATION , IN WHOLE OR IN 3
PART, OF PRIVATE PROPERTY , INCLUDING: 4
A. HOMES; 5
B. APARTMENT BUILDINGS ; 6
C. COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ; 7
D. FOOD MARKETS ; AND 8
E. ANIMAL SHELTERS ; AND 9
4. BLOCKING ACCESS TO PALESTINIAN LANDS BY 10
FENCING, STRUCTURES , OR OTHER MEANS ; 11
(IV) THE UNILATERAL ACQUIS ITION AND ANNEXATION OF LAND 12
IN OCCUPIED TERRITOR Y; 13
(V) THE FORCED TRANSFER O R EVICTION OF PROTEC TED 14
PERSONS WITHIN OCCUP IED TERRITORY , OR THE DEPORTATION OF PROTECTED 15
PERSONS FROM OCCUPIE D TERRITORY; AND 16
(VI) THE DESTRUCTION OF IN FRASTRUCTURE WITHIN 17
OCCUPIED TERRITORY I NCLUDING THE DESTRUC TION OF: 18
1. HOSPITALS AND OTHER M EDICAL FACILITIES ; 19
2. WATER AND SEWAGE SYST EM ELEMENTS ; 20
3. ELECTRICAL LINES; 21
4. ROADS; 22
5. SCHOOLS; AND 23
6. NETWORK FACILITIES . 24
(B) A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ON REGISTERED WITH T HE SECRETARY OF 25
STATE TO SOLICIT CHAR ITABLE DONATIONS IN THE STATE MAY NOT KNOWING LY 26 4 HOUSE BILL 1394
ENGAGE IN UNAUTHORIZ ED SUPPORT OF ISRAELI SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY . 1
(C) (1) THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY BRING AN ACTION FOR 2
INJUNCTIVE RELIEF AN D DAMAGES ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OR ANY OF ITS 3
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO NS AGAINST A DIRECTO R, AN OFFICER, A PARTNER, A 4
TRUSTEE, A MANAGER, OR ANY OTHER AGENT O F A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ON THAT 5
VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 6
(2) IN AN ACTION FILED UN DER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 7
SUBSECTION, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY NOT SEEK LESS THAN $1,000,000 IN 8
DAMAGES. 9
(D) (1) A PERSON HARMED BY A V IOLATION OF SUBSECTI ON (B) OF THIS 10
SECTION MAY BRING AN ACTION FOR INJUNCTIV E RELIEF AND ACTUAL DAMAGES 11
AGAINST A DIRECTOR , AN OFFICER, A PARTNER, A TRUSTEE, A MANAGER, OR ANY 12
OTHER AGENT OF A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT VIOLATES SUBSEC TION (B) OF 13
THIS SECTION. 14
(2) IN ADDITION TO INJUNCTIVE REL IEF AND ACTUAL DAMAG ES, A 15
COURT MAY AWARD ATTO RNEY’S FEES TO A PREVAILI NG PLAINTIFF. 16
(E) ON NOTICE FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OR A PREVAILI NG 17
PLAINTIFF OF A JUDGM ENT ENTERED AGAINST A NONPROFIT ORGANIZA TION 18
UNDER THIS SECTION , THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL REMOVE TH E NONPROFIT 19
ORGANIZATION FROM TH E REGISTRY OF CHARITABLE SOLICITATION. 20
(F) AN ACTION UNDER THIS SECTION: 21
(1) MAY BE BROUGHT IN ANY COUNTY IN THE STATE; AND 22
(2) SHALL BE FILED WITHIN 10 YEARS AFTER THE DATE OF THE 23
OCCURRENCE OF THE ACT ON WHICH THE CLAIM IS B ASED. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2025. 26