119-hr2635

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2635 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2635

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 3, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

 To support the human rights of Uyghurs and members of other minority 
groups residing primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and 
 safeguard their distinct identity, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Uyghur Policy Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) The People's Republic of China

    (PRC) continues to 
 repress the distinct Islamic, Turkic identity of Uyghurs and 
 members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in the 
 Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

    (XUAR) in northwestern China 
 and other areas of their habitual residence.

    (2) Uyghurs, and other predominantly Muslim ethnic 
 minorities historically making up the majority of the XUAR 
 population, have maintained throughout their history a distinct 
 religious and cultural identity.

    (3) Human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, 
 and respect for the Uyghurs' unique Muslim identity are 
 legitimate interests of the international community.

    (4) The PRC has ratified the International Covenant on 
 Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and is thereby bound by 
 its provisions. The PRC has also signed the International 
 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

    (5) An official campaign to encourage Han Chinese migration 
 into the XUAR has placed immense pressure on those who seek to 
 preserve the ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic 
 traditions of the Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious 
 minority groups.

    (6) PRC authorities have supported an influx of Han Chinese 
 economic immigrants into the XUAR, implemented discrimination 
 against Uyghurs and other minorities in hiring practices, and 
 provided unequal access to healthcare services.

    (7) PRC authorities have manipulated the strategic 
 objectives of the international war on terror to mask their 
 increasing cultural and religious oppression of the Muslim 
 population residing in the XUAR.

    (8) Following unrest in the region, in 2014, Chinese 
 authorities launched their ``Strike Hard against Violent 
 Extremism'' campaign, in which dubious allegations of 
 widespread extremist activity were used as justification for 
 gross human rights violations committed against Uyghurs and 
 members of other minority communities in the XUAR.

    (9) PRC authorities have made use of the legal system as a 
 tool of repression, including for the imposition of arbitrary 
 detentions and for torture against members of the Uyghur 
 community and other minority populations.

    (10) Uyghurs and Kazakhs who have secured citizenship or 
 permanent residency outside of the PRC have attested to 
 repeated threats, harassment, and surveillance by PRC 
 officials.

    (11) Reporting from international news organizations has 
 found that over the past decade, family members of Uyghurs and 
 other minority groups living outside of the PRC have gone 
 missing or been detained to force Uyghur expatriates to return 
 to the PRC or silence their dissent.

    (12) In 2017, Radio Free Asia's Uyghur Service was the 
 first media organization to report on the PRC's vast, mass 
 arbitrary-detention program in the XUAR in 2017.

    (13) Credible evidence from human rights organizations, 
 think tanks, and journalists confirms that more than 1,000,000 
 Uyghurs and members of other ethnic minority groups have been 
 imprisoned in extrajudicial ``political reeducation'' centers.

    (14) Independent accounts from former detainees of 
 ``political reeducation'' centers describe inhumane conditions 
 and treatment including forced political indoctrination, 
 torture, beatings, rape, forced sterilization, and food 
 deprivation.

    (15) Former detainees also confirmed that they were told by 
 guards that the only way to secure release was to demonstrate 
 sufficient political loyalty to the PRC Government.

    (16) Popular discourse surrounding the ongoing atrocities 
 in the XUAR and advocacy efforts to assist Uyghurs remains 
 muted in most Muslim majority nations around the world.

    (17) Former Secretary of States Antony Blinken and Michael 
 Pompeo and Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the 
 PRC Government has committed genocide and crimes against 
 humanity against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious 
 minorities in the XUAR.

    (18) Government bodies of multiple nations have also 
 declared that PRC Government's atrocities against such 
 populations in the XUAR constitute genocide, including the 
 parliaments of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Czechia, Lithuania, 
 the Netherlands, and Canada.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

 It is the Sense of Congress that--

    (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
 immediately open the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

    (XUAR) to regular, transparent, and unmanipulated visits by members of 
 the press, international organizations including the Office of 
 the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, academic 
 and human rights research institutions, as well as foreign 
 delegations including from the United States Congress;

    (2) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
 recognize, and take tangible steps to protect and preserve, the 
 distinct ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity 
 of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority 
 groups in the XUAR;

    (3) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
 cease all government-sponsored crackdowns, imprisonments, and 
 detentions of people throughout the XUAR aimed at repressing 
 their ethnic, cultural, political, or religious identities;

    (4) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
 cease all government-sponsored transnational repression of 
 Uyghurs, including the detainment, harassment, intimidation, 
 and surveillance of the family members of exiled Uyghurs and 
 Uyghur activists;

    (5) it is commendable for countries to provide shelter and 
 hospitality to Uyghurs and other minority group members in 
 exile, as Turkey, Albania, and Germany have done;

    (6) urges all countries, especially fellow democracies and 
 those with sizeable Muslim populations, to condemn and address 
 the plight of Uyghurs and other minority communities in the 
 XUAR;

    (7) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
 immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners that have 
 been detained for their ethnic, cultural, religious, and 
 linguistic identities, for expressing their political or 
 religious beliefs in the XUAR, or for being related to members 
 of the Uyghur diaspora or activist community including--
        (A) Ekper Asat, who participated in the Department 
 of State's International Visitors Leadership Program in 
 2016, was incarcerated after returning to the XUAR, and 
 is now serving a 15 year prison sentence on charges of 
 ``inciting ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination'';
        (B) Dr. Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor and 
 Uyghur, who was wrongfully detained in the XUAR on 
 September 11, 2018, and unjustly sentenced to 20 years 
 in prison in retaliation for her sister's advocacy for 
 Uyghur human rights issues; and
            (C) Kamile Wayit, a university student and Uyghur, 
 who was wrongfully detained on December 12, 2022, after 
 returning to the XUAR while on break from studying 
 during the winter holiday;

    (8) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
 facilitate access for international humanitarian organizations, 
 including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red 
 Crescent Societies, to the ``political reeducation'' centers in 
 the XUAR to ensure prisoners are not being mistreated and are 
 receiving necessary medical care; and

    (9) the Department of State should continue to facilitate 
 the unhindered dissemination of information to the 
 international community on issues regarding the human rights, 
 religious freedom, and transnational repression of Uyghurs and 
 members of other minority groups in the XUAR.

SEC. 4. UNITED STATES STRENGTHENING OF COORDINATION ON UYGHUR ISSUES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, as appropriate, shall--

    (1) prioritize policies, programs, and projects to support 
 the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority 
 groups in the XUAR;

    (2) vigorously promote the policy of seeking to protect the 
 distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity 
 of the Uyghurs and other minority groups and seek improved 
 protection of human rights in the XUAR;

    (3) direct the State Department to maintain close contact 
 with Uyghur religious, cultural, and political leaders, 
 including seeking regular travel to the XUAR and to Uyghur 
 populations in Central Asia, Turkey, Albania, Germany, and 
 other parts of Europe;

    (4) lead coordination efforts for the release of political 
 prisoners in the XUAR who are being detained for exercising 
 their human rights or being relatives of exiled Uyghurs;

    (5) consult with the United States Congress on policies 
 relevant to the XUAR and the Uyghurs;

    (6) coordinate with relevant Federal agencies to administer 
 aid to Uyghur rights advocates;

    (7) make efforts to establish contacts with foreign 
 ministries of other countries, especially in Europe, Central 
 Asia, and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, 
 to pursue a policy of promoting greater respect for human 
 rights and religious freedom for Uyghurs and other ethnic and 
 religious minority groups from the XUAR;

    (8) utilize the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and 
 United States Strategic Dialogue to address Uyghur rights, 
 working with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation individual 
 member states to develop and implement joint initiatives and 
 programs aimed at promoting awareness of Uyghur rights, and 
 support Uyghur victims of detainment, harassment, and 
 transnational repression;

    (9) support independent media authorized under PL 111/202 
 22 U.S.C. 6208 of the 111th Congress that conduct reporting and 
 investigative journalism focused on the XUAR, including in 
 local languages, to ensure that further PRC human rights abuses 
 are reported on;

    (10) work with international partners to raise awareness 
 concerning acts of transnational repression against Uyghur 
 Americans or Uyghurs exiled in the United States;

    (11) develop and implement strategies to prevent and 
 respond to the transnational repression of Uyghur Americans and 
 Uyghurs exiled in the United States;

    (12) establish a reporting mechanism for individuals to 
 report incidents of transnational repression; and

    (13) submit an annual report, including a classified annex 
 if necessary, to Congress on actions taken by the United States 
 to address and prevent transnational repression against Uyghurs 
 in the United States, and recommendations for further 
 legislative or policy measures.

    (b) Support.--The Secretary of State shall ensure the Department of 
State has adequate resources, staff, and administrative support to 
carry out this section.
            (c) Termination.--This section shall terminate on the date that is 
5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. FUNDING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES TO CONDUCT PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 
 IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD ON THE UYGHUR SITUATION.

 Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for the United States 
Speaker Program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of 
the Department of State, $250,000 for each of fiscal years 2025, 2026, 
and 2027 is authorized to be made available to support human rights 
advocates working on behalf of the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic 
and religious minority groups from the XUAR that are persecuted in the 
PRC, whose names may be provided by the Department of State in 
consultation with representatives of the global Uyghur community, to 
speak at global public diplomacy forums, particularly those in which 
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries and other Muslim-majority 
countries are present, on issues regarding the human rights and 
religious freedom of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious 
minority groups persecuted in the PRC.

SEC. 6. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

 No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of 
this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts 
otherwise authorized.

SEC. 7. ACCESS TO DETENTION FACILITIES AND PRISONS AND THE RELEASE OF 
 PRISONERS.

    (a) Strategy on Political Reeducation and Detention Facilities.--
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads of other 
relevant Federal departments and agencies, develop a strategy to 
cooperate with like-minded partners to pressure the People's Republic 
of China to--

    (1) close all detention facilities and ``political 
 reeducation'' camps housing Uyghurs and members of other ethnic 
 minority groups in the XUAR;

    (2) allow unhindered access to detention facilities and 
 ``political reeducation'' camps in the XUAR by independent 
 media, researchers, international organizations and the Office 
 of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a 
 comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation; and

    (3) protect human rights and preserve the distinct 
 religious and cultural identity of the Uyghurs and the other 
 religious and ethnic minority communities in the XUAR.

    (b) Report on Strategy and Implementation.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
report, including a classified annex if necessary, that includes--

    (1) the strategy developed pursuant to subsection

    (a) ; and

    (2) all the steps taken to implement such strategy pursuant 
 to the objectives described in subsection

    (a) .

SEC. 8. REQUIREMENT FOR UYGHUR LANGUAGE TRAINING.

    (a) Uyghur Language Training and Staffing.--The Secretary of State 
shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that--

    (1) Uyghur language training is available to Foreign 
 Service officers as appropriate; and

    (2) every effort is made to ensure that at least 1 Uyghur-
 speaking member of the Foreign Service (as such term is defined 
 by 

section 103 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
 3903)) is assigned to each United States diplomatic or consular 
 post in China.

    (b) Report.--No later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter for 2 years, the Foreign Service 
Institute shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
a report that outlines all the steps taken to implement subsection

    (a) .

SEC. 9. UYGHUR CONSIDERATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS.

 The President should direct the United States Permanent 
Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and 
influence of the United States to--

    (1) oppose any efforts to prevent consideration of the 
 gross violation of internationally recognized human rights in 
 the XUAR in any body of the United Nations;

    (2) oppose any efforts to prevent the participation of any 
 Uyghur human rights advocates in nongovernmental fora hosted by 
 or otherwise organized under the auspices of any body of the 
 United Nations; and

    (3) support the appointment of a special rapporteur or 
 working group for the XUAR for the purposes of monitoring human 
 rights violations and abuses in the XUAR, and for making 
 reports available to the High Commissioner for Refugees, the 
 High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human

 Rights Commission, the General Assembly, and other United 
 Nations bodies.

 Passed the House of Representatives September 2, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.