U.S. House of Representatives Passes Falun Gong Protection Act

(Minghui.org) The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Falun Gong Protection Act on the afternoon of May 5, 2025. Congressional members called the bill a milestone, as it would be the first time the U.S. Congress made a binding commitment to impose legal sanctions on those who participate in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, including the crime of live organ harvesting. The bill also demands that the CCP stop its persecution of Falun Gong immediately.

H.R.1540, also known as the Falun Gong Protection Act, was sponsored by Republican Congressman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. Now that the bill has been passed by the House of Representatives, it will be sent to the Senate. Once passed, the bill will be submitted to the U.S. President to sign.

Congressman Scott Perry proposed the Falun Gong Protection Act during the previous Congress, and the House of Representatives passed the bill on June 25, 2024.

After the 119th Congress began, Rep. Perry again introduced the Falun Gong Protection Act on February 24, 2025. It was again unanimously passed by the House of Representatives.

Congressman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, sponsor of H.R.1540, addressed the House before the vote.

Screenshot of the official web page of the Falun Gong Protection Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1540

Stopping a Crime Against Humanity

Before the vote, Congressman Perry called on his colleagues to oppose the CCP’s systematic persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. “This barbaric practice must end and must end now,” he said.

Falun Gong, a spiritual practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, has been targeted by the CCP since 1999. An estimated 70 million people practiced Falun Gong before the persecution began.

“This popularity triggered a brutal response from the CCP unleashing a campaign of illegal detentions, forced labor, torture and most horrifically, forced organ harvesting, a practice that amounts to mass murder,” Rep. Perry explained. “On July 20, 1999, the CCP detained hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners, and banned their practice outright. Since then the persecution has only intensified.”

An independent tribunal in the UK reviewed clear evidence of forced organ harvesting by the CCP. “Falun Gong practitioners are the primary victims of this barbaric organ harvesting system. The tribunal’s findings are staggering. They concluded that forced organ harvesting have been committed for years on a massive scale, with Falun Gong practitioners as the main source,” Rep. Perry said.

“The report states the CCP and its leaders have actively incited the persecution, imprisonment murder, torture and humiliation of these individuals solely to eradicate their beliefs. This is not just a violation of human rights, it’s a crime against humanity.”

Paving the Way for Sanctions

Congressman Perry said H.R.1540 is a historic step forward because it is the first binding commitment by Congress to take decisive legal action against the persecution and forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. “This bill imposes sanctions on those who participate in or facilitate forced organ harvesting in China. It directs the Secretary of State to investigate whether the CCP’s actions constitute crimes against humanity or genocide and report on China’s organ transplants policies. It also establishes U.S. policy to reject any cooperation with the PRC’s illicit organ transplant industry while the CCP remains in power,” he said.

“This bill paves the way for accountability, sanctions and punishment and acknowledgment of those complicit in these atrocities. The United States cannot continue to stand idly by,” he said.

Safeguarding Principles

In his speech, Congressman Perry emphasized the bill’s significance. “We must use our authority. We must use our positions as leaders in the world to curb these practices and send a clear message to everybody that not only we will not tolerate this assault on human dignity or humanity itself, but that no country, no people should. That’s why I urge a vote in favor HR1540,” he said.

“Let’s stand together, not just for Falun Gong practitioners but for millions suffering under the CCP’s oppression,” he added. “Let us affirm that the United States will always champion truth, compassion, and tolerance.”

Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee Urges Strong Support

Brian Mast (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke before the vote on May 5, 2025.

Brian Mast, a Republican congressman from Florida and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke before the vote and thanked Congressman Perry for sponsoring the Falun Gong Protection Act.

“This bill signals the United States will not tolerate the use of state violence to extract profit from the bodies of the persecuted,” he said. “I urge strong support of this legislation.”

Lawmakers from Both Parties Call to Hold CCP Accountable for Its Crimes

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from both parties support the Falun Gong Protection Act. From top left: Republican Congressman Andy Ogles of Tennessee; Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin; Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan of New York; Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina; Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis of Florida; Democratic Congressman John A. Olszewski Jr. of Maryland.

After the Falun Gong Protection Act was passed by the House, lawmakers from both parties condemned the CCP’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong and called to hold the CCP accountable and impose sanctions on the persecutors.

“The Chinese Communist Party has hunted down Falun Gong practitioners—torturing, imprisoning, and forcibly harvesting their organs, in a campaign of state-sponsored evil,” said Congressman Andy Ogles. “I’m proud to co-sponsor Rep. Perry’s legislation to punish these crimes against humanity and ban CCP organ traffickers from ever reaching our shores.”

Congressman Pat Ryan said he is proud to see such wide bipartisan support for this effort. “I’m doing everything in my power to hold organ traffickers accountable for their unspeakable crimes,” he said. “I will continue to speak out unwaveringly against the restriction of human rights and the persecution of religious groups, wherever they occur.”

Tom Tiffany, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, said, “The CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong, including torture and forced organ harvesting, is barbaric. The U.S. must not tolerate these atrocities. The Falun Gong Protection Act helps hold the CCP accountable.”

“This bill represents a step toward justice and accountability against the CCP’s brutal repression against the Falun Gong,” said Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina.

“Sanctioning perpetrators of forced organ harvesting is a moral imperative. In doing so, we can take a powerful stand against a horrific crime that violates the sanctity of life and human dignity. By holding those responsible accountable, we not only protect the most vulnerable but also affirm the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and the shared values of humanity,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Florida Republican.

“This legislation is particularly important given the CCP’s horrific human rights record and ongoing treatment of Falun Gong and other religious minorities. My hope is that this legislation will help to change the CCP’s abhorrent behavior and offer greater protections to those who have been oppressed and so gravely abused,” he said.

John A. Olszewski Jr., a Democratic congressman from Maryland, expressed his support for the bill before the House vote. He said, “We cannot remain silent in the face of such cruelty. We must stand with the victims. Show them they’re not forgotten and ensure perpetrators face justice.”