Uyghur Policy Act (H.R. 2635)
(Pending — Approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee April 9, 2025)
The Uyghur Policy Act (H.R. 2635) was introduced in the House on April 3 by Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), with original co-sponsors Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and five additional co-sponsors. Previous versions of the Uyghur Policy Act passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan majorities in 2022 and 2024.
The full title is: “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.”
The bill finds that:
- Uyghurs have maintained throughout their history a distinct religious and cultural identity.
- Article One of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights state that all peoples have the right to self-determination.
- Both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo have confirmed the U.S. government determination that the Chinese government has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs.
The bill directs the State Department to coordinate policies, programs, and projects to support Uyghurs and other minorities in the XUAR by
- Protecting the distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Uyghurs
- Maintaining close contact with religious, cultural, and political leaders of the Uyghurs, including seeking regular travel to the XUAR and to Uyghur settlements in Central Asia, Turkey, Albania, Germany, and other parts of Europe
- Leading coordination efforts for the release of political prisoners who are being detained for exercising their human rights;
- Consulting with Congress on policies relevant to the XUAR and the Uyghurs;
- Coordinating with relevant Federal agencies to administer aid to Uyghur rights advocates
- Establishing 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
- Utilizing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and United States Strategic Dialogue to address Uyghur rights and support Uyghur victims of detainment, harassment, and transnational repression
- Supporting independent media authorized under PL 111/202 22 U.S.C. 6208 of the 111th Congress [including Radio Free Asia] that conduct reporting and investigative journalism focused on the XUAR,
- Raising awareness about transnational repression, and developing strategies to document, respond to, and prevent transnational repression against Uyghur Americans
The bill authorizes funding for human rights advocates to speak about Uyghur human rights issues at global public democracy forums, especially in the Islamic world.
The bill calls upon the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to pressure the PRC to close all detention facilities and “reeducation” camps, allow independent media and the OHCHR to freely assess these facilities, and protect the human rights and distinct cultural identity of Uyghurs and other religious and cultural minorities in the XUAR. The bill requires the Secretary of State to report on the implementation of this strategy.
The bill requires the State Department to provide Uyghur language training to foreign service officers, and include Uyghur-speaking officers at diplomatic posts in the PRC.
The bill directs the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations to support Uyghur human rights issues in UN forums, including by supporting the appointment of a special rapporteur for monitoring human rights violations in the XUAR.Visit the UHRP U.S. Legislation Tracker for other bills endorsed by the Uyghur Human Rights Project.
Visit the UHRP U.S. Legislation Tracker for other bills endorsed by the Uyghur Human Rights Project.