Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025
The Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025 aims to curb the international practice of forced organ harvesting and trafficking for organ removal. The bill establishes a formal policy to combat these crimes, promote voluntary organ donation with strong enforcement, and hold accountable individuals and entities implicated in such activity (including members of the Chinese Communist Party). It expands U.S. government tools to deter and punish involvement in forced organ harvesting through passport actions, enhanced reporting on abuses abroad, and targeted sanctions. The sanctions can block property and ban entry for designated individuals and organizations, with limited humanitarian and international-law exceptions. The act also broadens existing U.S. reporting to cover forced organ harvesting in foreign countries and provides definitions to guide enforcement. In short, the bill would give the United States new levers—passport denial/revocation, country-by-country assessments, and sanctions—targeted at people and groups involved in forcing people to give up organs or trafficking individuals for that purpose, while trying to preserve humanitarian aid flows and international treaty obligations where possible.
Key Points
- 1Policy and accountability: Establishes a clear U.S. policy to fight forced organ harvesting and trafficking, promote voluntary donation, and hold perpetrators accountable (including members of the Chinese Communist Party) in diplomacy and international health forums.
- 2Definitions: Creates uniform definitions for forced organ harvesting, organ, and trafficking in persons for purposes of organ removal to guide enforcement and reporting.
- 3Passport authority: Authorizes the Secretary of State to refuse or revoke U.S. passports for individuals convicted under the National Organ Transplant Act for offenses involving border crossing or travel related to forced organ harvesting.
- 4Expanded country reporting: Amends the Foreign Assistance Act to require the Secretary of State to assess forced organ harvesting and trafficking in each foreign country in annual country reports, with defined terms aligned to the act.
- 5Sanctions and penalties: Requires the President to publish a list of persons who fund or facilitate forced organ harvesting or related trafficking, and to impose sanctions (asset blocking, visa/entry bans) with various exceptions, waivers, and implementation provisions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.