To designate the area between the intersections of 18th Street Northwest and Church Street Northwest, and 18th Street Northwest and P Street Northwest, in the District of Columbia as "Jimmy Lai Way", and for other purposes.
This bill would accomplish two main things. First, it designates a specific block in the District of Columbia—the area between the intersections of 18th Street Northwest with Church Street Northwest and 18th Street Northwest with P Street Northwest—as “Jimmy Lai Way.” It also redesignates the nearby address at 1520 18th Street Northwest as 1 Jimmy Lai Way Northwest and requires new street signs to reflect the name change, with signs designed similarly to DC metro signage. Second, the bill contains a substantial foreign-policy package centered on Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong democracy advocate and media entrepreneur, including findings condemning his detention in Hong Kong and a broad sense of Congress urging action by U.S. and international actors to seek his release and support democratic rights and press freedom. In short, the measure combines a symbolic, local street-naming action in DC with a strong foreign-policy posture that advocates for Jimmy Lai and calls for related U.S. diplomacy, sanctions, and international oversight.
Key Points
- 1Designation of Jimmy Lai Way: The area defined as the block between 18th Street NW at Church Street NW and 18th Street NW at P Street NW in DC would be officially known as “Jimmy Lai Way,” and references to that area in federal records would reflect the designation.
- 2Address redesignation and signage: The address 1520 18th Street NW would be redesignated as 1 Jimmy Lai Way Northwest, with federal records updated accordingly, and street signs would be installed by the Administrator of General Services to reflect the name, including signs on the nearby street corners.
- 3Signage design requirements: Signs must say “Jimmy Lai Way NW,” follow a design similar to District of Columbia Metro-station signage, and be placed on federal property near 1 Jimmy Lai Way NW and at the two specified street corners.
- 4Section 1 findings and sense of Congress: The bill includes detailed findings about Jimmy Lai’s detention in Hong Kong, his background as a democracy advocate and media entrepreneur, and concerns about his treatment and charges under the National Security Law.
- 5Foreign-policy actions urged: The bill urges U.S. officials to advocate for Lai’s release, consider sanctions under related Hong Kong freedom-and-democracy laws, and seek UN involvement to monitor human rights issues in Hong Kong and China. It also encourages international partners (including the UK) to support dropping charges and releasing Lai.