[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7152 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7152

 To direct the Secretary of State to establish a national registry of 
       Korean American divided families, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 30, 2024

Ms. Wexton (for herself and Mrs. Steel) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of State to establish a national registry of 
       Korean American divided families, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Divided Families National Registry 
Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL REGISTRY OF KOREAN AMERICAN DIVIDED FAMILIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through the Special 
Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues or such other individual as 
the Secretary may designate, shall--
            (1) identify Korean American families who wish to be 
        reunited with family members in North Korea from which such 
        Korean American families were divided after the signing of the 
        Agreement Concerning a Military Armistice in Korea, signed at 
        Panmunjom July 27, 1953 (commonly referred to as the ``Korean 
        War Armistice Agreement''), in anticipation of future reunions 
        for such families and family members, including in-person and 
        video reunions; and
            (2) establish a national registry of the names and other 
        relevant information of such Korean American families--
                    (A) to facilitate such future reunions; and
                    (B) to provide for a repository of information 
                about such Korean American families and family members 
                in North Korea, including information about individuals 
                who may be deceased.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of State $1,000,000 to carry out this 
section.

SEC. 3. ACTIONS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND 
              NORTH KOREA.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall take such actions as 
may be necessary to ensure that any direct dialogue between the United 
States and North Korea includes progress towards holding future 
reunions for Korean American families and their family members in North 
Korea as described in section 2.
    (b) Consultations.--The Secretary of State shall consult with the 
Government of the Republic of Korea in carrying out this section.
    (c) Report.--No later than one year after enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on--
            (1) the status of the national registry established 
        pursuant to section 2(a)(2);
            (2) the number of individuals included on the registry 
        who--
                    (A) have met their family members in North Korea 
                during previous reunions; and
                    (B) have yet to meet their family members in North 
                Korea during previous reunions;
            (3) a summary of responses by North Korea to requests to 
        hold reunions of divided families; and
            (4) a description of regulations in North Korea and actions 
        taken by North Korea in the year previous to submission of each 
        report that prevent the emigration of family members of Korean 
        American families.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this Act, 
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate.
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