This bill would stop current or former government officials from getting U.S. visas or being admitted to the United States if the Secretary of State finds they were responsible for, or complicit in, forcing Uyghurs or other at-risk people to leave their country of last habitual residence and return to the People’s Republic of China. When the Secretary of State applies this rule to an official, the Secretary must also refer the person to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to consider blocking their property and financial transactions. The Secretary of State may waive the ban if it is in the national interest or if circumstances have changed. The Secretary must report to specified Congressional committees within 90 days of enactment and then every 180 days with information on officials denied and waivers granted. This section ends five years after the law takes effect.
No publicly available information on costs or budgetary effects is provided in the bill text. The bill assigns tasks to the Department of State and requires referrals to OFAC, but it does not include cost estimates or funding details.
The bill text states its purpose: to deny U.S. entry to officials responsible for forced repatriation of Uyghurs and other at-risk persons and to refer such officials to OFAC for possible sanctions. The bill was introduced by Senators Jeff Merkley, John Cornyn, and Rick Scott. The bill text itself does not include additional statements from its sponsors.
No publicly available information on opponents' views is included in the bill text or metadata.