# 119-hr-10406: Jimmy Lai Hong Kong Political Prisoner Accountability Act of 2026

119-hr-10406, Jimmy Lai Hong Kong Political Prisoner Accountability Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ); status introduced (as of 2026-10-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10406
- As of: 2026-10-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-10406
- Congress: 119
- Title: Jimmy Lai Hong Kong Political Prisoner Accountability Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-16
- Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-01

## Summary

**Requires mandatory U.S. sanctions and accountability when a Hong Kong political prisoner dies from medical neglect, abuse, or unlawful detention.** The bill creates clear definitions, timelines, reporting rules, visa limits, and multilateral tools centered on Jimmy Lai and other identified political prisoners. - Families and prisoners: Requires a report on the health, medical care, consular access, and legal access of Jimmy Lai and other Hong Kong political prisoners within 90 days and then annually. It directs U.S. advocacy for the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners. - Officials and enforcement: If credible information alleges a prisoner's death from neglect, abuse, or unlawful conditions, the Secretary of State must decide within 30 days whether the death qualifies. The President must impose sanctions within 60 days on covered foreign persons using the Global Magnitsky Act and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act. - Diplomacy and limits: Authorizes the U.S. to push for UN inquiries and to coordinate with the U.K., Canada, Australia, and the EU. The bill allows visa restrictions on adult family members of sanctioned persons and ends sanctions only after a credible, independent investigation, accountability under fair trial standards, and remedies for the family.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2026-09-16T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Reports and 90‑day accountability review: benefit, low. Not later than 90 days after enactment, the Secretary would review policies that let Hong Kong political prisoners be mistreated and recommend sanctions or other steps, including possible limits on Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices. The Secretary would also be required to report on the health of…
- Who counts as a political prisoner: benefit, low. This bill would define who counts as a Hong Kong political prisoner and who counts as a covered foreign person. The Secretary of State would make the determinations. The bill would create a presumption that people charged under listed national security, sedition, or related laws are political priso…
- Sanctions and actions if a prisoner dies: mixed, low. If the Secretary gets credible information that a Hong Kong political prisoner died in custody, the Secretary would have 30 days to determine whether the death was caused by denial of medical care, abuse, or bad detention conditions. The Secretary would identify covered foreign persons responsible…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-hr-928: Railway Safety Act of 2025
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1144: Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-10406 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10406)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6900)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [119-hr-928: Railway Safety Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-928)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-1144: Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorizatio…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1144)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10406 (as of 2026-10-01).