Bill Details
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This bill would stop federal money from being used to join the World Health Organization or to pay it until the Secretary of State tells Congress that the organization has made certain changes. Those changes focus on making the group more transparent, less political, and less influenced by China. The bill also says the World Health Organization would need to give Taiwan observer status, stop any diversion of aid to countries like Iran, North Korea, or Syria, and end work on issues the bill describes as outside its main mission. It also says WHO directions could not be treated as legally binding on U.S. citizens or states as a condition of U.S. membership.
- Federal agencies would be barred from using funds to seek U.S. membership in the World Health Organization or to make payments to it unless the Secretary of State certifies the group meets the bill’s conditions.
- The bill says the World Health Organization must adopt reforms so humanitarian aid is based on need and is not used for political purposes.
- It requires the organization to be free from control or strong influence by the Chinese Communist Party, and says it must not have covered up China’s response to COVID-19.
- The bill also calls for Taiwan to receive observer status, for more transparency and anti-fraud safeguards, and for the WHO to stop work on topics the bill lists as unrelated to its mission, such as gender identity, climate change, and abortion.
Official Summaries
WHO is Accountable Act
This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to seek U.S. membership in the World Health Organization (WHO), or to make contributions to the WHO, until the Department of State makes certain certifications to Congress.
Specifically, these prohibitions shall apply until the State Department certifies that the WHO has met certain conditions, including that the WHO (1) has adopted reforms to ensure that humanitarian assistance is not politicized; (2) is not under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and is not involved in a cover-up of the CCP's response to the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) has granted observer status to Taiwan; and (4) has ceased engagement on certain issues, such as climate change, access to abortion, and gender identity.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 600 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 600
To prohibit the use of funds to seek membership in the World Health
Organization or to provide assessed or voluntary contributions to the
World Health Organization.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2025
Mr. Arrington (for himself, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Estes, and Mr. Steube)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prohibit the use of funds to seek membership in the World Health
Organization or to provide assessed or voluntary contributions to the
World Health Organization.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``WHO is Accountable Act''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS TO SEEK MEMBERSHIP IN THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION OR TO PROVIDE ASSESSED OR VOLUNTARY
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
funds available to any Federal department or agency may be used to seek
membership by the United States in the World Health Organization or to
provide assessed or voluntary contributions to the World Health
Organization until such time as the Secretary of State certifies to
Congress that the World Health Organization meets the conditions
described in subsection (b).
(b) Conditions Described.--The conditions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) The World Health Organization has adopted meaningful
reforms to ensure that humanitarian assistance is not
politicized and is to be provided to those with the most need.
(2) The World Health Organization is not under the control
or significant malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
(3) The World Health Organization is not involved in a
coverup of the Chinese Communist Party's response to the COVID-
19 pandemic.
(4) The World Health Organization grants observer status to
Taiwan.
(5) The World Health Organization does not divert
humanitarian or medical supplies to Iran, North Korea, or
Syria.
(6) The World Health Organization has put in place
mechanisms to increase transparency and accountability in its
operations and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.
(7) The World Health Organization has ceased all funding
for, engagement in, and messaging with respect to certain
controversial and politically charged issues that are non-
germane to the World Health Organization's directive,
including--
(A) so-called ``gender identity'' and harmful
rhetoric relating to ``gender affirming care'';
(B) climate change; and
(C) access to abortion.
(8) The World Health Organization has agreed that as a
condition of membership by the United States in the World
Health Organization, no directive issued by the World Health
Organization may be considered to be legally binding on any
United States citizen or individual State.
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