# 119-hr-5491: Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt Unjustly Detained in Communist China Act

119-hr-5491, Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt Unjustly Detained in Communist China Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5491
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5491
- Congress: 119
- Title: Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt Unjustly Detained in Communist China Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-09-18
- Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ)
- Cosponsors: 5
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Creates a coordinated U.S. framework to assist Americans unjustly detained in China.** The bill would set up diplomatic plans, case definitions, family support, and tools to press for releases and accountability.

## Cosponsors (5)

- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2025-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2] (R-AR), 2025-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2025-10-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2] (R-MI), 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2026-01-22T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Official letter to clear China detentions: benefit, low. If enacted, when a listed person is released and returns to the U.S., the President would give them a “declaration of invalidity.” The letter would state their China detention was invalid. They could use it for background checks or reviews of prior offenses.
- Broader protection for detained Americans and green card holders: benefit, low. If enacted, more people would be covered by this help. It would treat some green card holders with strong U.S. ties as “United States nationals” for this act. It would also define “cases of concern” to include unjustly detained people not yet labeled “wrongfully detained” and some family members he…
- Detailed report to Congress on detentions: benefit, low. If enacted, within 120 days the State Department would send Congress a classified report with an unclassified summary. It would include counts of detainees and exit bans, actions taken, timelines, and options like prisoner transfers. It would also list sanctions used and recommend any new authoriti…
- Help and contacts for families of detainees: benefit, low. If enacted, within 60 days the State Department would publish a “cases of concern” list and a diplomatic action plan. The plan would name officials to coordinate and be points of contact. Families would get contact info, consular guidance, travel help, and legal and counseling referrals. The plan w…
- Use sanctions and U.N. to press China: benefit, low. If enacted, U.S. policy would be to consider sanctions on Chinese officials linked to unjust detentions under the Global Magnitsky law. The U.S. would also use the U.N. and other bodies to highlight cases, condemn exit bans, and push reviews of family-member detentions.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-5491 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5491)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9237)
- [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5491 (as of 2026-04-21).