(Minghui.org) The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed S.4009, the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act, on June 17, 2026, to stop the crime of organ harvesting by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This legislation will be voted on by the U.S. Senate.

The Falun Gong Protection Act requests the U.S. government to complete a list of foreign individuals who have knowingly participated in or assisted with the practice of forced organ harvesting in China.

This legislation allows the U.S. government to impose sanctions on individuals placed on the list, including bans on transactions with U.S. persons or entities, freezing of assets held within the United States, and a ban on entry into the country. Existing visas held by such individuals would be revoked, and they would become ineligible for U.S. immigration benefits.

Jointly introduced by by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in March, this legislation recently gained the co-sponsorship of Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Senator Todd Young (R-IN)

On June 9, Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young also co-sponsored the Falun Gong Protection Act.

In a video message in July 2025, Sen. Young expressed his support for Falun Gong practitioners. “For decades the CCP has used fear and coercion to suppress the rights of the Chinese people, targeting ethnic and religious minorities, communities of faith, including Falun Gong practitioners, who have suffered unimaginable abuses, been detained, silenced, and stripped of basic human dignity, all under the guise of oppressive laws that label faith and culture as extremism or terrorism,” he remarked. “Let's be clear, the CCP is actively working to erase culture, suppress religion, and silence free expression.

“I stand with you today in solidarity. Your courage, your voice, and your peaceful protest matter. Thank you for allowing me to share these words, and thank you for your continued fight for truth, freedom, and dignity,” Sen. Young continued.

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

“I hope we can really increase world awareness of this terrible practice,” Sen. Merkley told reporters after the committee vote. “It’s really one of the most horrific abuses on earth, just the steady supply of people being basically killed for organs,” he said.

When he introduced the Falun Gong Protection Act in March, Sen. Merkley wrote in a statement, “China’s campaign of repression and human rights abuses continue to have horrific consequences, including reports of forced organ harvesting from vulnerable groups across the PRC. We must stand up for the victims of these crimes, and our bipartisan effort holds the Chinese government accountable for its abuses.”

On June 15, senators amended the legislation to include a new section detailing long-standing concerns held by public and private institutions regarding China’s organ transplant system, as well as the CCP’s persistent lack of transparency on the issue.

The amendments cited the 2023 State Department international religious freedom report, noting that religious groups—particularly Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghurs—could become victims of forced organ harvesting. The report also referenced a study by the New York City Bar Association, which concludes that there is “ample evidence China continues to engage in forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience.”

This legislation mandates that the U.S. government conduct investigations—including into cases involving groups such as Falun Gong practitioners—and publicly condemn “illegal, coercive, non-consensual, or non-transparent organ procurement and transplantation practices.”

In addition, the legislation requires the U.S. Department of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and relevant intelligence officials, to submit a report on China’s organ transplant policies and practices.

This report will formally assess whether the Chinese government is currently engaging in, or has previously engaged in, the systematic practice of forced organ harvesting. It would also summarize China’s organ transplant policies—specifically addressing cases involving Falun Gong practitioners, other prisoners of conscience, and related victim groups.

In addition to covering data on annual organ transplant volumes and voluntary donors in China, the report will include assessments regarding organ sources and procurement timelines—including the plausibility of reported schedules—and details on U.S. funding for organ transplant research projects in China over the past decade.

Under the latest version of the legislation, if the U.S. government determines that forced organ harvesting is indeed occurring in China, it must further assess whether such conduct constitutes an atrocity crime under international law.

https://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2026/6/19/美国参议院外交委员会通过法轮功保护法案-511488.html