[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4473 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4473
To require the Secretary of State to annually issue a list of People's
Republic of China-origin entities carrying out mining involving forced
labor or causing environmental harm in African countries, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 30, 2026
Mr. Sheehy (for himself and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of State to annually issue a list of People's
Republic of China-origin entities carrying out mining involving forced
labor or causing environmental harm in African countries, 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 ``China-Africa Mining Transparency
Act''.
SEC. 2. ANNUAL LIST OF PRC ENTITIES CARRYING OUT MINING INVOLVING
FORCED LABOR OR CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL HARM IN AFRICAN
COUNTRIES.
(a) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Artisanal and small-scale mining.--The term ``artisanal
and small-scale mining'' means a form of mining common in the
developing world that--
(A) typically employs rudimentary and low-cost
extractive technologies and manual labor-intensive
techniques;
(B) is frequently subject to limited regulation;
and
(C) often features inhumane, harsh, and dangerous
working conditions.
(2) Critical mineral.--The term ``critical mineral'' has
the meaning given that term in section 7002(a) of the Energy
Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a)).
(3) Environmental harm to a protected area.--The term
``environmental harm to a protected area'' means damage to the
environment of a protected area, such as--
(A) contamination of water resources, streams,
rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water, including
wells, aquifers, or soil;
(B) soil degradation or erosion; or
(C) degradation of aquatic or terrestrial
ecosystems or biodiversity loss.
(4) Forced labor.--The term ``forced labor'' has the
meaning given that term in section 307 of the Tariff Act of
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).
(5) Large-scale mining.--The term ``large-scale mining''
means capital-intensive, usually highly mechanized, typically
industrial-scale mining carried out by large commercial
entities.
(6) PRC entity.--The term ``PRC entity'' means--
(A) an entity under the ownership, control, or
influence of--
(i) the Government of the People's Republic
of China;
(ii) the Chinese Communist Party; or
(iii) a military, intelligence, or
paramilitary entity of the Chinese Communist
Party or the People's Republic of China;
(B) an entity that is organized under the laws of,
or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of, the
People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and
Macau);
(C) an entity majority-owned, majority-controlled,
or majority-financed by an entity described in
subparagraph (A) or (B); or
(D) a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or contractor
of an entity described in subparagraph (A), (B), or
(C), including a joint venture in which an entity
described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) holds a
controlling interest.
(7) Protected area.--The term ``protected area'' means any
area that has received protected status in the country in which
the area is located, such as a national park, game refuge,
ecosystem reserve, or other nature preserve.
(8) Relevant congressional committees.--The term ``relevant
congressional committees'' means the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of
the House of Representatives.
(b) In General.--Not less frequently than once each year during the
5-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of State shall submit to the relevant congressional
committees, and make publicly available, including on the internet, a
list of--
(1) each PRC entity that the Secretary reasonably assesses
is carrying out mining, including large-scale mining or
artisanal and small-scale mining, of critical minerals, gold,
or iron in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria,
Guinea, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, or any other country in
Africa--
(A) using forced labor; or
(B) in a manner that causes environmental harm to a
protected area in the country concerned; and
(2) each mine, mining zone, or concession at which such
mining is carried out.
(c) Development of List.--In developing each list required by
subsection (b), the Secretary of State shall--
(1) use open-source information, including from press
sources and academic, non-profit, and other non-state research
organizations or individual researchers, and information
received, collected, or otherwise obtained by United States
embassies; and
(2) consult with the Secretary of Labor, through the Bureau
of International Labor Affairs of the Department of Labor, the
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Treasury, the
Director of National Intelligence, and other heads of Federal
departments and agencies, and the foreign country counterparts
of such individuals in the countries specified in subsection
(b)(1).
(d) Form.--Each list required by subsection (b) shall be made
publicly available and submitted to the relevant congressional
committees in unclassified form, but the version submitted to the
relevant congressional committees may include a classified annex, if
warranted.
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