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Read. Follow. Verify.Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Act
Last action · February 12, 2026: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.Sponsors: Betty McCollum and 26 others
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes to restrict U.S. military aid to Israel if the funds are used for the military detention of Palestinian children, the destruction of Palestinian property, or the annexation of West Bank territory. It requires the Secretary of State to annually certify whether U.S. funds have been used for these specific activities.
If passed, this bill would create a legal mechanism to withhold or report on U.S. security assistance to Israel based on compliance with specific human rights and international law standards regarding the treatment of Palestinian minors and property.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Government of Israel
The government's use of U.S. security assistance would be subject to new oversight and potential restrictions based on its military and administrative practices in the West Bank.
Palestinian children and families
The bill aims to change the conditions of their detention and the security of their property by restricting the use of U.S.-funded resources for specific military actions.
U.S. Department of State
The agency is tasked with the new administrative burden of monitoring, certifying, and reporting on the use of funds by the Israeli government.
Key Facts
- Prohibits the use of U.S. funds for the military detention, interrogation, or abuse of Palestinian children, including practices like torture, solitary confinement, and detention without charge.
- Prohibits the use of U.S. funds for the seizure, destruction, or appropriation of Palestinian property or the forcible transfer of civilians in the West Bank.
- Prohibits the use of U.S. funds to support the unilateral annexation of territory in the occupied West Bank.
- Requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual report and certification to Congress starting September 30, 2027, regarding whether U.S. funds were used for the prohibited activities.
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- If prohibited activities are found, the Secretary of State must report the specific amount of funds used and the nature of the activities supported.
- Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include mandatory reporting on these specific activities by the Government of Israel.
- The bill explicitly cites the Convention on the Rights of the Child as a standard for the treatment of minors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill stop all military aid to Israel?
What happens if the Secretary of State finds that U.S. funds were used for these activities?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 12, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- Feb 12, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Conditionality of Aid
The bill represents a move toward stricter conditionality for U.S. security assistance to Israel, specifically linking funding to human rights compliance.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy90Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz75Current news / social attention level
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