New Bill Targets Forced Organ Harvesting: Global Sanctions and Passport Revocations Proposed

This new piece of legislation, the "Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025," is looking to take a firm stance against the grim international trade of forced organ removal and human trafficking for organs. It’s not just a statement; the bill lays out plans to empower the Secretary of State to deny or revoke passports for U.S. individuals convicted of specific organ trafficking offenses, especially if they used a passport or crossed borders to do it (Section 4). The core idea is to combat these practices globally, hold perpetrators accountable (with a specific mention of the Chinese Communist Party in Section 2), and beef up reporting on these activities in foreign countries.

Beyond Borders, Beyond the Pale: Defining the Problem

So, what exactly are we talking about here? The bill gets specific. "Forced organ harvesting" is defined in Section 3 as taking someone's organs through nasty means like coercion, abduction, deception, or abuse of power. Think of someone tricked or forced into giving up an organ – that’s the target. "Trafficking in persons for purposes of the removal of organs," also defined in Section 3, covers the whole chain: recruiting, moving, or harboring someone to take their organs using those same coercive tactics, or by paying off someone who controls the victim. It’s basically making it clear that this isn't just about the surgery itself, but the whole exploitative process. The bill also states U.S. policy (Section 2) is to promote voluntary organ donation systems and uphold human dignity as outlined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Travel Lockdowns and Global Watchlists

If you're a U.S. citizen and get convicted under the National Organ Transplant Act for organ trafficking (that's an existing law, 42 U.S.C. 274e, which already makes buying/selling organs a crime), this bill adds another layer. If you used a passport or crossed an international border while committing that crime, Section 4 says the Secretary of State can deny you a new passport or yank the one you have. This is about stopping convicted traffickers from easily moving around. Beyond U.S. citizens, the bill casts a wider net internationally. Section 5 amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, meaning those annual human rights reports the State Department puts out on other countries (required by sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of that Act) will now have to include assessments of forced organ harvesting and trafficking. More eyes on the problem, basically.

The Sanctions Hammer: Hitting Perpetrators' Pockets and Plans

This is where the bill really flexes its muscles. Section 6 requires the President, within 180 days of the Act passing, to send Congress a list of foreign individuals or entities – think people, companies, or even non-state groups – who fund, sponsor, or facilitate forced organ harvesting or trafficking. Once you're on that list, the hammer comes down. What kind of hammer?

• Asset Freeze: Any property or money these listed folks have in the U.S., or that a U.S. person (citizen, permanent resident, U.S. company) controls, gets blocked. This uses powers from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
• Travel Ban: Listed individuals won't be allowed into the U.S. – no visas, no entry. If they already have a visa, it gets revoked immediately under the Immigration and Nationality Act. This is a big deal for anyone identified who might want to do business with or travel to the U.S. For example, if a sanctioned foreign official has a U.S. bank account, it could be frozen.

Loopholes and Lookouts: The Exceptions to the Rule

Now, it's not an absolute lockdown. Section 6 also includes some important exceptions. The sanctions won't stop the U.S. from importing goods, for example. If someone needs to enter the U.S. to comply with international agreements, like for U.N. business (think the U.N. Headquarters Agreement) or consular duties (Convention on Consular Relations), the travel ban might not apply. Crucially, there are humanitarian carve-outs: sanctions won't hit transactions for selling agricultural products, food, medicine, or providing vital humanitarian aid. This is to avoid making bad situations worse for innocent people. There's also a "national security" waiver. The President can decide to pause these sanctions for someone on the list for up to 180 days if it's deemed "vital to U.S. national security interests," but Congress has to be notified 15 days beforehand. This is pretty standard in sanctions laws, but it's always a point to watch – how often and why might it be used? The power to decide who "funds, sponsors, or facilitates" these crimes is also quite broad, which means how it's interpreted and applied will be key.