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Controversial bill to use 'Judea and Samaria' in state documents advances after testimony
Summary
House Bill 14-46 would require historically framed terminology — replacing 'West Bank' with 'Judea and Samaria' — in state materials; testimony by Jason Rapert and debate over foreign-policy implications preceded a 6-1-1 committee vote to advance the bill.
Representative Todd presented House Bill 14-46, which would standardize the use of the terms "Judea and Samaria" in Tennessee state government materials instead of the phrase "West Bank." The sponsor framed the change as correcting terminology used in state documents and said the language reflects historical usage. The committee took public testimony from Jason Rapert, who described his organization’s advocacy and historical reasoning for the change.
Members asked about the bill’s scope and potential diplomatic implications, and some members expressed concern about politicizing state documents; others defended the measure as a recognition of historical place names. After discussion and a public witness exchange, the committee voted to advance the bill as amended, with the clerk recording 6 ayes, 1 no, and 1 present-not-voting.
