HR 1540119th CongressIn Committee

Falun Gong Protection Act

Introduced: Feb 24, 2025

Defense & National SecurityFinancial ServicesImmigration

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Falun Gong Protection Act would authorize targeted sanctions by the United States against individuals determined to have knowingly and directly engaged in or facilitated involuntary organ harvesting in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The bill centers on forced organ harvesting linked to Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners, and it sets up a process to identify and penalize perpetrators with asset blocking and visa restrictions. It also requires a series of reporting duties to Congress about PRC organ transplant policies, sources of organs, and related research funding, and it codifies a deliberate U.S. policy to avoid cooperation with PRC in organ transplantation while the Chinese Communist Party remains in power. The act would sunset five years after enactment unless renewed.

Key Points

1Targeted sanctions on individuals: The President must impose sanctions on foreign persons who knowingly and directly engaged in or facilitated involuntary organ harvesting in PRC, using authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), including blocking property and restricting transactions.
2List and disclosure: By 180 days after enactment, the President must submit a list of such individuals to Congress in unclassified form (with a possible classified annex) and update the list annually or as new information becomes available.
3Visa and entry penalties: Those listed would be barred from entering the United States, banned from obtaining visas or admission, and any existing visas could be revoked automatically and immediately.
4Exceptions, waivers, and reporting: There are humanitarian and national-security exceptions, and the President can grant case-by-case waivers if in vital U.S. security interests. Congress will receive periodic reports on the use of waivers.
5Sunset and mandatory reporting on PRC organ policies: Sanctions authority ends five years after enactment unless renewed. A separate State/Health and NIH-led report within one year (and periodically thereafter) analyzes PRC organ transplant policies, sources of organs, timelines for procurement, past U.S. research grants, and whether Falun Gong persecution constitutes an “atrocity” under U.S. genocide/atrocities prevention law.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Individuals and entities in PRC involved in or facilitating forced organ harvesting; Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners who may be affected by transplant practices.- U.S. persons and entities that would be implicated by sanctions (property, transaction prohibitions) and would face visa/entry restrictions if on the sanctions list.Secondary group/area affected- U.S. government policy and diplomacy, including coordination with allies and multilateral bodies to address human rights concerns and apply targeted pressure on organ harvesting practices.- PRC organ transplant sector and related biomedical research collaborations, which could be affected by sanctions, export controls, and reduced cooperation.Additional impacts- Humanitarian and legal considerations: The bill provides explicit humanitarian exemptions for food, medicine, and essential humanitarian aid, and allows necessary intelligence or law enforcement activities to continue.- Compliance and transparency: The annual listing and reporting requirements increase transparency around U.S. policy toward organ transplantation in China and may influence future policy decisions and international dialogue.- Legislative dynamics: A five-year sunset creates a finite period for reevaluation and potential renewal, reflecting the tracking nature of this issue and Congress’s ongoing oversight role.

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