119-s555

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 555 Reported in Senate

    (RS) ]

<DOC>

 Calendar No. 51
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 555

 To direct the Secretary of State to establish a national registry of 
 Korean American divided families, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 12, 2025

 Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Coons, Mr. Kelly, and Mr. 
 Ricketts) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

 April 28, 2025

 Reported by Mr. Risch, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
 in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of State to establish a national registry of 
 Korean American divided families, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Korean American Divided 
Families National Registry Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>

SEC. 2. NATIONAL REGISTRY OF KOREAN AMERICAN DIVIDED 
 FAMILIES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through 
the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, the Assistant 
Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, or such other individual as 
the Secretary may designate, shall--</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (1) identify Korean American families who wish to 
 be reunited with family members residing in North Korea from 
 which such Korean American families were divided after the 
 signing of the Agreement Concerning a Military Armistice in 
 Korea, signed at Panmunjom July 27, 1953 (commonly referred to 
 as the ``Korean War Armistice Agreement''), in anticipation of 
 future reunions for such families and family members, including 
 in-person and video reunions; and</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (2) establish a national registry of the names and 
 other relevant information of such Korean American families--
 </DELETED>
 <DELETED>
        (A) to facilitate such future reunions; 
 and</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
        (B) to provide for a repository of 
 information about such Korean American families and 
 family members in North Korea, including information 
 about individuals who may be deceased.</DELETED>
<DELETED>

    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary of State $1,000,000 to carry out 
this section.</DELETED>

<DELETED>

SEC. 3. ACTIONS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED 
 STATES AND NORTH KOREA.</DELETED>

<DELETED>

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State should take such 
actions as may be necessary to ensure that any direct dialogue between 
the United States and North Korea includes progress towards holding 
future reunions for Korean American families and their family members 
in North Korea.</DELETED>
<DELETED>

    (b) Consultations.--The Secretary of State should consult 
with the Government of the Republic of Korea, as appropriate, in 
carrying out this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>
            (c) Reporting Requirement.--</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (1) In general.--The Secretary of State, acting 
 through the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, 
 shall include in each report required under 

section 107
            (d) of 
 the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 (22 U.S.C. 7817
            (d) ) a 
 description of the consultations described in subsection

    (b) conducted during the year preceding the submission of the 
 report.</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (2) Elements.--The reporting required under 
 paragraph

    (1) should include--</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
        (A) the status of the national registry 
 established pursuant to 

section 2

    (a)

    (2) ;</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
        (B) the number of individuals included on 
 the registry who--</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
            (i) have met their family members 
 in North Korea during previous reunions; 
 and</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
            (ii) have yet to meet their family 
 members in North Korea during previous 
 reunions;</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
            (C) a summary of responses by North Korea 
 to requests to hold reunions of divided families; 
 and</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
            (D) a description of actions taken by 
 North Korea that prevent the emigration of family 
 members of Korean American families.</DELETED>
<DELETED>
            (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Korean American Divided Families 
National Registry Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL REGISTRY OF KOREAN AMERICAN DIVIDED FAMILIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through the Special 
Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, the Assistant Secretary of 
State for Consular Affairs, or such other individual as the Secretary 
may designate, shall--

    (1) engage, to the extent practicable, Korean American 
 families who wish to be reunited with family members residing 
 in North Korea from which such Korean American families were 
 divided after the signing of the Agreement Concerning a 
 Military Armistice in Korea, signed at Panmunjom July 27, 1953 
 (commonly referred to as the ``Korean War Armistice Agreement'' 
 ), in anticipation of future reunions for such families and 
 family members, including in-person and video reunions; and

    (2) establish a private, internal national registry of the 
 names and other relevant information of such Korean American 
 families--
        (A) to facilitate such future reunions; and
        (B) to provide for a repository of information 
 about such Korean American families and family members 
 in North Korea, including information about individuals 
 who may be deceased.

    (b) Disclosure of Information.--The Secretary of State may enter 
into agreements with Korean individuals and families, academic 
institutions, or other members of the public, as appropriate, to share, 
in whole or in part, information collected and housed in the database 
if--

    (1) the United States person whose personally identifiable 
 information would be disclosed as a result of an agreement has 
 provided consent to such disclosure; and

    (2) the agreement outlines reasonable steps and commitments 
 to ensure that any information disclosed as a result of such 
 agreement is--
        (A) kept private and confidential; and
        (B) will not be disclosed improperly to other 
 parties outside the agreement.

SEC. 3. ACTIONS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND 
 NORTH KOREA.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State should take steps to ensure 
that any direct dialogue between the United States and North Korea 
includes progress towards holding future reunions for Korean American 
families and their family members in North Korea.

    (b) Consultations.--The Secretary of State shall consult with the 
Government of the Republic of Korea, as appropriate, in carrying out 
this section.
            (c) Reporting Requirement.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary of State, acting through the 
 Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, shall 
 include in each report required under 

section 107
            (d) of the 
 North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 (22 U.S.C. 7817
            (d) ) a 
 description of the consultations described in subsection

    (b) conducted during the year preceding the submission of the 
 report.

    (2) Elements.--The reporting required under paragraph

    (1) should include--
        (A) the status of the national registry established 
 pursuant to 

section 2

    (a)

    (2) ;
        (B) the number of individuals included on the 
 registry who--
            (i) have met their family members in North 
 Korea during previous reunions; and
            (ii) have yet to meet their family members 
 in North Korea;
            (C) a summary of responses by North Korea to 
 requests by the United States Government to hold 
 reunions of divided families; and
            (D) a description of actions taken by North Korea 
 that prevent the emigration of family members of Korean 
 American families.
            (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this Act, the 
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives.
 Calendar No. 51

119th CONGRESS

 1st Session

 S. 555

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of State to establish a national registry of 
 Korean American divided families, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 April 28, 2025

 Reported with an amendment