What happened
The US Senate has passed a bill aimed at sanctioning individuals involved in forced organ harvesting in China. The bipartisan bill, known as the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act, was passed with unanimous consent and will now be sent to the House for approval.
If the bill becomes law, it will impose sanctions on foreign individuals who have engaged in or facilitated forced organ harvesting in China. These sanctions will include being barred from entering the United States, having their US property and transactions blocked, and potentially facing criminal punishment of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
The bill also calls for the US government to investigate allegations of forced organ harvesting, particularly those involving Falun Gong practitioners. The secretary of state will be required to report to Congress on China's organ transplantation practices and policies within a year of the bill's passage.
The bill's passage has been welcomed by advocates for human rights and religious freedom, including Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Jeff Merkley, who sponsored the bill. Erping Zhang, a spokesperson for Falun Gong, commended the Senate for taking a step towards holding perpetrators of forced organ harvesting accountable.
