This bill would officially name the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a "transnational organized crime group." It requires the Attorney General to make that designation and directs the FBI to list the CCP as a top international criminal organization. The bill adds a new section to federal racketeering law (chapter 96, title 18) that requires the Attorney General to report to certain congressional committees within 90 days on the number and extent of racketeering activities by the CCP and to recommend penalties. The bill also extends the statute of limitations so RICO-style prosecutions for racketeering activities by the CCP cannot be barred before 15 years after the activity, and it says some legal protections normally available to foreign state agencies would not apply to the CCP during racketeering investigations or prosecutions.
If enacted, Department of Justice and FBI leaders must treat the CCP as a top international criminal organization and prepare reports to Congress about alleged racketeering activities. The change to the racketeering law could allow prosecutors to pursue longer investigations and to bring cases under RICO-related statutes involving the CCP. The bill does not itself authorize specific sanctions, arrests, or funding; it changes designations and some legal rules that could affect future investigations and prosecutions.
No publicly available information on direct costs, appropriations, or budget estimates is included in the bill text or metadata.
The bill text lists findings that supporters use to justify the measure. Those findings cite human rights abuses (including actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong), allegations about forced organ harvesting, concerns about fentanyl trafficking and drug deaths, the CCP's handling of the early coronavirus outbreak, large-scale intellectual property theft, and statements from U.S. officials about national security and counterintelligence threats from China. Proponents intend the designation and legal changes to enable stronger investigation and prosecution of alleged criminal conduct tied to the CCP.
No publicly available information on opponents' views or arguments is included in the bill text or metadata.