Jimmy Lai Internet Freedom Act

Support for Hong Kong Internet Access

If enacted, the bill would require the State Department to create a Hong Kong Internet Freedom Program in DRL and authorize the Open Technology Fund to create a parallel program. It would authorize $10 million per year for the State program and $5 million per year for the Open Technology Fund for each of fiscal years 2027–2031. Grants would fund tools like VPNs and circumvention software, DDoS mitigation, digital security training, and emergency support. Grant awards would have to be open, competitive, spread across multiple vendors, and new technologies would require comprehensive security audits and a preference for open-source components when practicable. During fiscal year 2027, the Secretary could use the Human Rights and Democracy Fund to pay for grants under this authority. The two Hong Kong programs would have to operate separately from mainland China internet freedom efforts through September 30, 2031; after that each agency could choose to consolidate or keep programs separate.