Chairs Introduce Landmark Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act

Washington, D.C. – Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Chair and Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), today introduced the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act of 2025, a comprehensive, bipartisan bill to address the People’s Republic of China's (PRC) atrocities targeting the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. They were joined by fellow Commissioners Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY) in introducing this legislation. Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI), the Chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, also joined in cosponsoring the legislation.

The legislation expands existing sanctions authorities, imposes mandatory visa bans, restricts U.S. government contracts linked to forced labor, and provides assistance to survivors of torture, forced sterilization, rape, and arbitrary detention. It also directs U.S. agencies to preserve cultural heritage threatened by PRC policies, counters disinformation denying the genocide, and bars the sale and purchase of Chinese seafood products in Defense Department facilities due to their ties to Uyghur and North Korean forced labor.

Senator Dan Sullivan, Chair of the CECC, said:

“The evidence is clear. The Chinese Communist Party has waged a deliberate and systematic campaign to destroy the Uyghur people through forced sterilization, mass internment, and forced labor. This legislation ensures the United States holds accountable not only the perpetrators of these horrific crimes but also those who support or profit from them. That includes cutting off imports of seafood caught and processed with forced labor, which not only implicates Uyghur and North Korean workers, but also undermines American producers through grossly unfair trade practices.” 

Representative Chris Smith, Co-Chair of the CECC, stated:

“Genocide is not a relic of the past—it is happening now, on our watch. The CCP’s cruel efforts to erase the Uyghur people and their culture are among the most egregious human rights violations in modern history. This bill responds with clear-eyed resolve: targeted sanctions, visa bans, survivor support, and strong measures to end complicity in these crimes. We cannot remain silent while atrocity crimes unfold in real time.”

Senator Jeff Merkley, Former Chair of the CECC, said:

“As long as the People’s Republic of China continues to bulldoze the human rights of Uyghurs and other vulnerable groups, the United States must do everything we can to call out the horrific genocide and systemic abuses. This bipartisan bill builds on my Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act by expanding sanctions and delivering new tools to hold the Chinese government accountable for its horrifying surveillance regime, mass imprisonment, torture, and so-called ‘re-education camps’ inflicted on Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. We must swiftly pass this legislation to stand up to China’s ongoing campaign of repression.”

Representative Tom Suozzi, CECC Commissioner & Cochair House Uyghur Caucus, said:

“The Chinese Communist Party is carrying out a campaign of systematic repression against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities, including mass detention, torture, forced labor, and ethnic cleansing. The bipartisan Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act will intensify sanctions on CCP officials responsible for these atrocities and enhance our ability to document and expose human rights abuses. As Co-Chair of the Uyghur Caucus, I’m committed to making this legislation a top priority for this Congress.”

Representative John Moolenaar, Chair, House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party said:

"The CCP’s genocide against the Uyghurs is one of the gravest human rights atrocities of our time. This bill ensures the United States leads with strength and principle by imposing tougher sanctions, banning visas for abusers, and cutting off taxpayer contracts linked to forced labor. It also provides critical support to survivors and pushes back against the CCP’s propaganda machine. If we truly believe in human dignity, then accountability must be the foundation of our policy toward China."

The Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act would:

• Broaden existing sanctions under the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act to cover crimes such as forced organ harvesting, coercive abortions, and the forced separation of children from their families.
• Mandate visa bans for foreign nationals involved in forced sterilizations and population control campaigns.
• Ban the use and sale of Chinese seafood in Defense Department facilities due to its links to Uyghur and North Korean forced labor.
• Authorize support—including medical and psychological services—for Uyghur and Kazakh survivors of detention and abuse now living outside China.
• Promote cultural and linguistic preservation for ethnic and religious minorities whose identity is under threat.
• Prohibit U.S. government procurement from entities linked to Uyghur forced labor or implicated in atrocity crimes.
• Expose and counter PRC propaganda and disinformation, including campaigns that deny the existence of genocide.
• Support investigations and documentation of atrocity crimes for use in future international or domestic prosecutions.
• Ban the use and sale of Chinese seafood in Defense Department facilities due to its links to Uyghur and North Korean forced labor.

CECC Commissioners will continue to work across the aisle on initiatives that advance American interests and equip the United States to meet the global challenges posed by the Chinese Communist Party—making our nation more secure, resilient, and economically competitive.

Text of the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act can be found here.