Senate committee advances bill targeting forced organ harvesting in China
The bipartisan measure would require sanctions, visa bans and a formal State Department report on China’s organ transplant sys
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
WASHINGTON — A Senate committee has advanced legislation that would require the U.S. government to formally assess allegations of forced organ harvesting in China and impose sanctions on foreign persons determined to be directly involved.
At the center of the bill is a question Congress wants formally answered: Are organs being taken from people against their will inside China, and if so, what should the United States do about it?
The bill, S. 4009, is titled the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act. It was introduced by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, with U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., as a cosponsor. Both senators serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced June 17 that it had advanced 24 pieces of legislation, including S. 4009. The bill was considered with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, meaning the committee version would replace the earlier text if adopted by the Senate.
The legislation has not become law. It would still need to pass the full Senate, be reconciled with any House version and be signed by the president before taking effect.
The bill responds to long-running allegations that prisoners of conscience and other vulnerable groups have been used as involuntary organ sources inside China. The Chinese government has denied forced organ harvesting allegations and has said its transplant system relies on voluntary donations.
Human rights groups, lawmakers and international experts have continued to question the transparency of China’s transplant system, including reported transplant wait times, donor numbers and the treatment of prisoners of conscience.
The Senate bill is designed to address those concerns in two main ways: targeted sanctions and a formal State Department report.
