# 119-s-3981: BRAVE Burma Act

119-s-3981, BRAVE Burma Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3981
- As of: 2026-08-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3981
- Congress: 119
- Title: BRAVE Burma Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-03-04
- Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD)
- Cosponsors: 11
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-10

## Summary

**This bill would strengthen U.S. sanctions and diplomacy** to pressure Burma's military and promote a return to civilian democratic government. It extends sanctions authorities, tightens annual reporting on targeted firms, and creates a U.S. Special Envoy for Burma. - People in Burma and displaced populations would see a focused U.S. push for humanitarian aid, protection for ethnic minorities, support for political prisoners, and efforts to pursue accountability for atrocities. - Companies and foreign actors in Burma's economy face higher scrutiny. The President would be required to identify state-owned enterprises, Myanma Economic Bank, and foreign parties operating in the jet fuel sector for potential sanctions. - U.S. foreign policy tools would be extended and amplified. The bill lengthens the authorities from 8 to 10 years and directs the Treasury to limit Burma's IMF share increases under military rule. A Special Envoy would lead coordinated multilateral sanctions, engagement with China and Russia, and interagency diplomatic work.

## Cosponsors (11)

- Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] (R-IN), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY] (R-KY), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-04-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-06-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New U.S. Special Envoy for Burma: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary of State would appoint a Special Envoy for Burma with ambassador rank. The Envoy would coordinate U.S. sanctions, diplomacy, and humanitarian aid for Burma. The Envoy would engage pro-democracy groups, ethnic leaders, and multilateral partners. The Envoy would report to an…
- Annual sanctions checks on Burma entities: benefit, low. If enacted, the President would have 180 days to decide whether certain Burmese entities meet sanctions criteria. The President would then report to Congress every year for seven years. Covered entities include Burmese state-owned enterprises, Myanma Economic Bank, and foreign persons in Burma's je…
- Limit Burma IMF share increases: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Treasury Secretary would tell the U.S. IMF director to limit any increase in Burma's IMF share while the military government rules. The President could waive that limit only after certifying to the House Committee on Financial Services and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations t…
- Extend Burma Act authorities two years: mixed, low. If enacted, this bill would change the Burma Act's expiration from 8 years to 10 years. The change would take effect on enactment. U.S. agencies would have two more years to use the Act's authorities against the Burmese military and related entities.

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.
- 119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for the State of California.

## Sources
- [119-s-3981 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3981)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-739)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3981 (as of 2026-08-10).