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119-hr-8182119th Congress

Banning Perpetrators of Religious Persecution Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Moore, Tim [R-NC-14]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would bar visa admission for people who commit particularly severe violations of religious freedom. It would add a new inadmissibility ground to U.S. immigration law and require public identification of those barred, with narrow foreign policy exceptions.

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  • People accused of religious persecution: Aliens who, while serving as foreign government officials or at any time while abroad, directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out particularly severe violations of religious freedom would be inadmissible to the United States under a new clause tied to the International Religious Freedom Act definitions.
  • Department of State and public transparency: The Secretary of State would be required to post the names of those found inadmissible and the countries or locations where violations occurred on the Department of State's public website, subject to confidentiality limits in existing immigration law.
  • Diplomatic exceptions and congressional notice: The Secretary could exclude a name from public posting on a case-by-case basis for adverse foreign policy reasons and that exclusion would be sole and unreviewable, but the Secretary must provide semiannual reports to Congress explaining such exclusions.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Ban on admitting religious persecutors

If enacted, the bill would make certain noncitizens ineligible for U.S. visas or admission. It would bar officials who, while serving a foreign government, were responsible for or directly carried out particularly severe violations of religious freedom. It would also bar people outside the United States who directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, were responsible for, or carried out such violations. This rule would take effect upon enactment.

Public list of barred individuals

If enacted, the bill would require the State Department to post on its public website the names of people barred under the new religious-persecution rule and where the violations happened. The bill would override certain confidentiality limits for those postings. The Secretary of State could exclude a name when public release would harm U.S. foreign policy, but the Secretary would have to report to Congress every six months explaining each exclusion. This requirement would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Moore, Tim [R-NC-14]

NC • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. Fedorchak, Julie [R-ND-At Large]

    ND • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. Self, Keith [R-TX-3]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. McDowell, Addison P. [R-NC-6]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]

    TN • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1]

    SC • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]

    WI • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

  • Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/2/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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