No Dollars to Uyghur Forced Labor Act
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Would bar the State Department and USAID from spending funds on any policy, program, or contract that knowingly uses goods produced in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or by entities linked to forced labor there.
The bill would create a congressional-notification waiver process and require annual reporting on violations and enforcement challenges, targeting a specific human-rights concern in U.S. foreign-assistance spending.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would prohibit funds authorized for the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from being used to develop, plan, implement, or execute any policy, program, or contract that knowingly uses goods mined, produced, or manufactured in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China, or goods produced by a "covered entity" — defined by reference to a list of entities associated with XUAR forced labor under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (Public Law 117-78). The Secretary of State could authorize a specific exemption only after obtaining written assurance from the relevant partner that XUAR goods will not be used and a compliance system will be developed, and after notifying the chairs and ranking members of the relevant congressional committees at least 15 days in advance.
The bill would also require the Secretary of State to submit annual reports to Congress for three years, describing any violations of the prohibition, challenges in enforcement, and a plan to improve enforcement. It would not impose restrictions on other federal agencies or on private-sector supply chains beyond State and USAID program partners.
Key provisions
- 1Would prohibit State Department and USAID funds from supporting any policy, program, or contract knowingly using goods from XUAR or from covered entities linked to XUAR forced labor.
- 2Would allow the Secretary of State to authorize an exempted activity after obtaining written assurances from the program partner and providing 15-day advance notice to congressional committees.
- 3Would require the Secretary of State to submit annual reports to Congress for three years covering violations, enforcement challenges, and improvement plans.
- 4Defines 'covered entity' by reference to the XUAR entity list developed under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (Public Law 117-78), and 'forced labor' by reference to the Tariff Act of 1930.
Who would be affected
The State Department and USAID, which would be prohibited from certain procurement and programmatic activities. Program partners, implementors, and contractors receiving State or USAID funds would need to provide written assurances about their supply chains and build compliance systems. Entities on the XUAR forced-labor entity list would be ineligible to participate in covered programs without a specific waiver.
Why it matters
State Department and USAID program partners operating globally would need to audit their supply chains to confirm they are not sourcing goods from XUAR or from listed forced-labor entities. Organizations that cannot provide that assurance in writing would be disqualified from covered programs, potentially disrupting existing contracts or partnerships that rely on goods with any Xinjiang-origin materials.
What would change
Agencies directed to act
How implementation would work
The Secretary of State would be responsible for enforcing the prohibition across State and USAID programs. When a waiver is sought, the Secretary must collect written compliance assurances from the program partner and give congressional committee leaders at least 15 days' notice before authorizing the activity. The Secretary would then submit annual reports to the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees for three consecutive years, documenting violations, enforcement difficulties, and improvement plans. The bill relies on an existing entity list developed under Public Law 117-78 to define which covered entities trigger the prohibition.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Official CRS summary
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This bill prohibits the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development from spending funds on a policy, program, or contract that knowingly uses goods from China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) or produced by entities associated with forced labor in XUAR.
This prohibition includes goods from (1) the XUAR; (2) entities that source materials from the XUAR; or (3) entities involved with forced labor from the XUAR, such as entities in the XUAR that manufacture goods with forced labor or entities working with the XUAR government to transport forced laborers.
The State Department may waive this prohibition, after notifying Congress, if it obtains written assurance that the relevant program partner (1) will not use goods produced in the XUAR for the program, and (2) will develop a system to ensure compliance with the bill's prohibitions.
Legislative subjects
Asia; China; Congressional oversight; Human rights; International Affairs; Labor standards; Manufacturing