Jimmy Lai Hong Kong Political Prisoner Accountability Act of 2026

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Introduced 2026-09-16Topic: civil rights · criminal justice · governance ethics

Summary

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This bill would require the U.S. Secretary of State, working with the Treasury Secretary, to respond if a Hong Kong political prisoner dies in custody. Within 30 days of credible information about such a death, the Secretary would have to decide whether the death resulted from denied medical care, abuse, poor detention conditions, or other acts by authorities, and identify the Chinese or Hong Kong officials responsible. Within 60 days of that decision, the Secretary would have to impose sanctions on those officials and visa restrictions on their adult family members. The bill also requires yearly reports to Congress on the health of Jimmy Lai and other Hong Kong political prisoners, and a review of possible steps, including limiting the privileges of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the United States.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Action history

Date	Chamber	Action	Status effect
2026-09-16	House	Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-09-16	House	Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-09-16	House	Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-09-16	House	Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-09-16		Introduced in House	introduce
2026-09-16		Introduced in House	introduce

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