Rep. Chris Todd proposes Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Legislation by State Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, to prohibit state agencies in Tennessee from referring to Judea and Samaria as the West Bank advanced out of the House State and Local Government Committee this week. 

The Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act, or House Bill 1446, recognizes the historical significance and biblically and legally accurate terms for the region to the south and north of Jerusalem.

“Accuracy and integrity must be the standard in official government communications,” said Todd. “This legislation strengthens transparency and consistency by ensuring state agencies use the historically rooted terms Judea and Samaria. It also safeguards taxpayer dollars from being used to mislead Tennesseans through deceptive and politically-charged language that has become far too common in public discourse.”

Coach Bruce Pearl, a former basketball coach for the University of Tennessee and Auburn University and chair of the board of the U.S. Israel Education Administration, addressed the House State and Local Government Committee on March 4 to support Todd’s proposal.

“What I’m asking you to consider today is a choice between historical frameworks and two worldviews, two different playbooks, and each different playbook has consequences,” Pearl said. “They shape how we think and how we teach and what the next generation assumes to be true.”

House Bill 1446 prohibits state funds from being used to create official government material referring to the region as the West Bank, unless an agency head determines it is in Tennessee’s interest.

In 2024, Todd sponsored a resolution expressing the General Assembly’s strong support for the state of Israel and its right to defend itself following the October 7, 2023, terror attacks on the Jewish nation.

House Bill 1446 will be considered in the House Calendar and Rules Committee before heading to the House floor for a final vote.

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