S 555
· 119th Congress
· International Affairs
Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act
Sponsor
Latest action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 51.
Action timeline
Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.
Apr 28, 2025
committee
Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Foreign Relations Committee
Apr 28, 2025
other
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 51.
Mar 27, 2025
committee
Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Foreign Relations Committee
Feb 12, 2025
introduced
Introduced in Senate
Feb 12, 2025
introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Foreign Relations Committee
Text versions
Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.
Changelog
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih / is — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh / rfs — Referred to a committee for review.rh / rs — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).pcs / pch — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.eh / es — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.rdh / rds — Received by the other chamber.eah / eas — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.ath / ats — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.enr — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.pl — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.pp — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih/is— Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh/rfs— Referred to a committee for review.rh/rs— Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).pcs/pch— Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.eh/es— Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.rdh/rds— Received by the other chamber.eah/eas— Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.ath/ats— Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.enr— Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.pl— Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.pp— Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.
+136
−23
44 unchanged
--- Introduced (Senate)
+++ Reported (Senate)
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
-[S. 555 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
+[S. 555 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
+Calendar No. 51
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 555
@@ -20,6 +21,12 @@
Ricketts) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
+April 28, 2025
+
+Reported by Mr. Risch, with an amendment
+[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
+in italic]
+
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
@@ -29,6 +36,81 @@
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
+
+<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Korean American Divided
+Families National Registry Act''.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED>SEC. 2. NATIONAL REGISTRY OF KOREAN AMERICAN DIVIDED
+FAMILIES.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through
+the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, the Assistant
+Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, or such other individual as
+the Secretary may designate, shall--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (1) identify Korean American families who wish to
+be reunited with family members residing in North Korea from
+which such Korean American families were divided after the
+signing of the Agreement Concerning a Military Armistice in
+Korea, signed at Panmunjom July 27, 1953 (commonly referred to
+as the ``Korean War Armistice Agreement''), in anticipation of
+future reunions for such families and family members, including
+in-person and video reunions; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (2) establish a national registry of the names and
+other relevant information of such Korean American families--
+</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) to facilitate such future reunions;
+and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) to provide for a repository of
+information about such Korean American families and
+family members in North Korea, including information
+about individuals who may be deceased.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
+to be appropriated to the Secretary of State $1,000,000 to carry out
+this section.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED>SEC. 3. ACTIONS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED
+STATES AND NORTH KOREA.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> (a) In General.--The Secretary of State should take such
+actions as may be necessary to ensure that any direct dialogue between
+the United States and North Korea includes progress towards holding
+future reunions for Korean American families and their family members
+in North Korea.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (b) Consultations.--The Secretary of State should consult
+with the Government of the Republic of Korea, as appropriate, in
+carrying out this section.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (c) Reporting Requirement.--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (1) In general.--The Secretary of State, acting
+through the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues,
+shall include in each report required under section 107(d) of
+the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 (22 U.S.C. 7817(d)) a
+description of the consultations described in subsection (b)
+conducted during the year preceding the submission of the
+report.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (2) Elements.--The reporting required under
+paragraph (1) should include--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) the status of the national registry
+established pursuant to section 2(a)(2);</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) the number of individuals included on
+the registry who--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (i) have met their family members
+in North Korea during previous reunions;
+and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (ii) have yet to meet their family
+members in North Korea during previous
+reunions;</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (C) a summary of responses by North Korea
+to requests to hold reunions of divided families;
+and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (D) a description of actions taken by
+North Korea that prevent the emigration of family
+members of Korean American families.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
+Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the
+Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on
+Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
@@ -41,34 +123,45 @@
Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, the Assistant Secretary of
State for Consular Affairs, or such other individual as the Secretary
may designate, shall--
-(1) identify Korean American families who wish to be
-reunited with family members residing in North Korea from which
-such Korean American families were divided after the signing of
-the Agreement Concerning a Military Armistice in Korea, signed
-at Panmunjom July 27, 1953 (commonly referred to as the
-``Korean War Armistice Agreement''), in anticipation of future
-reunions for such families and family members, including in-
-person and video reunions; and
-(2) establish a national registry of the names and other
-relevant information of such Korean American families--
+(1) engage, to the extent practicable, Korean American
+families who wish to be reunited with family members residing
+in North Korea from which such Korean American families were
+divided after the signing of the Agreement Concerning a
+Military Armistice in Korea, signed at Panmunjom July 27, 1953
+(commonly referred to as the ``Korean War Armistice Agreement''
+), in anticipation of future reunions for such families and
+family members, including in-person and video reunions; and
+(2) establish a private, internal national registry of the
+names and other relevant information of such Korean American
+families--
(A) to facilitate such future reunions; and
(B) to provide for a repository of information
about such Korean American families and family members
in North Korea, including information about individuals
who may be deceased.
-(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
-appropriated to the Secretary of State $1,000,000 to carry out this
-section.
+(b) Disclosure of Information.--The Secretary of State may enter
+into agreements with Korean individuals and families, academic
+institutions, or other members of the public, as appropriate, to share,
+in whole or in part, information collected and housed in the database
+if--
+(1) the United States person whose personally identifiable
+information would be disclosed as a result of an agreement has
+provided consent to such disclosure; and
+(2) the agreement outlines reasonable steps and commitments
+to ensure that any information disclosed as a result of such
+agreement is--
+(A) kept private and confidential; and
+(B) will not be disclosed improperly to other
+parties outside the agreement.
SEC. 3. ACTIONS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
NORTH KOREA.
-(a) In General.--The Secretary of State should take such actions as
-may be necessary to ensure that any direct dialogue between the United
-States and North Korea includes progress towards holding future
-reunions for Korean American families and their family members in North
-Korea.
-(b) Consultations.--The Secretary of State should consult with the
+(a) In General.--The Secretary of State should take steps to ensure
+that any direct dialogue between the United States and North Korea
+includes progress towards holding future reunions for Korean American
+families and their family members in North Korea.
+(b) Consultations.--The Secretary of State shall consult with the
Government of the Republic of Korea, as appropriate, in carrying out
this section.
(c) Reporting Requirement.--
@@ -88,9 +181,10 @@
(i) have met their family members in North
Korea during previous reunions; and
(ii) have yet to meet their family members
-in North Korea during previous reunions;
+in North Korea;
(C) a summary of responses by North Korea to
-requests to hold reunions of divided families; and
+requests by the United States Government to hold
+reunions of divided families; and
(D) a description of actions taken by North Korea
that prevent the emigration of family members of Korean
American families.
@@ -98,4 +192,23 @@
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of
the House of Representatives.
-<all>
+Calendar No. 51
+
+119th CONGRESS
+
+1st Session
+
+S. 555
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+A BILL
+
+To direct the Secretary of State to establish a national registry of
+Korean American divided families, and for other purposes.
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+April 28, 2025
+
+Reported with an amendment
Cosponsors (5)
Members who signed on to support this bill.