Uyghur Policy Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Curtis, John R. [R-UT]
Introduced
Summary
Protect Uyghur human rights and identity. This bill would create a U.S. policy framework to promote Uyghur rights in Xinjiang and to pressure the PRC through diplomacy, reporting, and targeted public diplomacy funding.
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- Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and detainees would get focused U.S. attention through a required strategy to close detention facilities, secure independent access, and push for unconditional releases. The strategy must be developed within 180 days and reported within one year.
- Uyghur advocates and exiled community leaders would gain small targeted support. The bill would provide $250,000 per year for 2025, 2026, and 2027 to fund speaking engagements at global public diplomacy events, especially in OIC and Muslim-majority states.
- U.S. diplomats and consular posts in China would get language and staffing changes. The bill would require Uyghur language training and at least one Uyghur-speaking officer at each post, with yearly progress reports from the Foreign Service Institute for two years.
- International and multilateral action is emphasized. The U.S. Representative to the United Nations would be directed to oppose blocking scrutiny of Xinjiang, defend Uyghur advocates at UN forums, and support a UN special rapporteur or working group.
- Federal coordination and oversight would increase. The bill would create an interagency Uyghur coordination role, require annual reporting to Congress including a classified annex, and place most coordination requirements on a five-year sunset.
*Includes $250,000 per year for 2025-2027 drawn from existing public diplomacy appropriations and does not authorize new funds.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Small Uyghur advocacy fund, no new money
This bill would make $250,000 available each year in 2025, 2026, and 2027 from the Speaker Program to pay for Uyghur human rights advocates to speak at public diplomacy events. The Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs would pick speakers with input from the global Uyghur community and give priority to events attended by Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other Muslim-majority countries. The bill would also say no new money is authorized to run the Act, so agencies must use or reallocate existing funds to carry out these requirements.
U.S. diplomatic push and staffing for Uyghurs
This bill would direct the State Department to make Uyghur rights a priority and coordinate U.S. policy on the issue. The Department would keep contact with Uyghur leaders, support independent media like Radio Free Asia, and set up a way to report transnational repression. The Secretary would have 180 days to write a strategy to press China to close detention and reeducation facilities and would report to Congress within one year. The U.S. Ambassador to the UN would be told to push for UN attention, oppose blocking Uyghur advocates from UN events, and back a UN monitor for the XUAR. The bill would also require Uyghur language training be made available and that the Department try to assign at least one Uyghur-speaking Foreign Service officer to each U.S. post in China, with Foreign Service Institute reports to Congress for up to three years. Many of these duties would sunset after five years.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Curtis, John R. [R-UT]
UT • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 3/17/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov