H.R. 1503 — Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025

This section establishes the policy of the United States (1) to combat international trafficking in persons for purposes of the removal of organs; (2) to promote the establishment of voluntary organ donation systems with effective enforcement mechanisms in bilateral diplomatic meetings and in international health forums; (3) to promote the dignity and security of human life in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on December 10, 1948; and (4) to hold accountable persons implicated, including members of the Chinese Communist Party, in forced organ harvesting and trafficking in persons for purposes of the removal of organs.

This section defines terms for purposes of the Act: (1) "appropriate committees of Congress" as the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and the Judiciary and the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and the Judiciary; (2) "forced organ harvesting" as the removal of one or more organs from a person by means of coercion, abduction, deception, fraud, or abuse of power or a position of vulnerability; (3) "organ" as having the meaning given "human organ" in section 301(c)(1) of the National Organ Transplant Act (i.e., the human kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, bone marrow, cornea, eye, bone, skin, or any subpart thereof, including fetal organs, or others specified by regulation); and (4) "trafficking in persons for purposes of the removal of organs" as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of a person for organ removal by means of coercion, abduction, deception, fraud, abuse of power or vulnerability, or transfer of payments or benefits to obtain consent from a controlling person.

This section authorizes the Secretary of State to deny issuance of a passport to an individual convicted of violating the National Organ Transplant Act (42 U.S.C. 274e) (i.e., knowingly acquiring, receiving, or transferring a human organ for valuable consideration if affecting interstate commerce) if the individual is subject to imprisonment, parole, or supervised release for that conviction and used a passport or crossed an international border in committing the offense. The section further authorizes the Secretary to revoke any passport previously issued to such an individual.

This section amends §§116 and 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n, 2304) to require (1) the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices under §116(d)—which describe human rights conditions in countries receiving U.S. development assistance—to include an assessment of forced organ harvesting (i.e., coercive removal of organs) and trafficking in persons for purposes of organ removal in each foreign country; and (2) the annual human rights reports under §502B(b)—which cover countries proposed for U.S. security assistance—to include the same assessment. Both new subsections (h) and (k), respectively, define the terms "forced organ harvesting," "organ," and "trafficking in persons for purposes of the removal of organs."

This section requires the President, not later than 180 days after enactment, to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a list of persons determined to fund, sponsor, or otherwise facilitate forced organ harvesting or trafficking in persons for purposes of organ removal. It further directs the President to impose sanctions on listed persons, including (1) blocking all transactions in property and interests in property within U.S. jurisdiction using authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) (except the national emergency declaration requirement under IEEPA §202), and (2) for individuals, ineligibility for U.S. visas, admission, parole, or Immigration and Nationality Act benefits, plus immediate revocation of existing visas (automatically canceling others in possession). The section specifies exceptions to property blocking for goods importation; to visa restrictions for compliance with U.S. international obligations (e.g., UN Headquarters Agreement); and to both sanctions types for humanitarian assistance (i.e., agricultural commodities, food, medicine, vital aid, related financial transactions, or transportation). It authorizes case-by-case waivers for up to 180 days if vital to U.S. national security (with 15-day prior certification to Congress); implementation via specified IEEPA authorities; penalties mirroring IEEPA civil and criminal provisions; and definitions of "person" (individual or entity, including non-state actors) and "United States person" (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or U.S.-organized entities including foreign branches).