Bill Details

S.774 - 119th Congress

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Status
  1. Introduced
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. To President
  5. Law
Latest action
2025-02-27 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Introduced Date
2025-02-27
Policy Area
International Affairs
Committees
View committees (1)
6
0

AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.

This bill would block U.S. government money from being used to join the World Health Organization or to give money to it until the Secretary of State tells Congress that the WHO has met a long list of conditions. In plain terms, it would put a hold on U.S. support for the WHO unless lawmakers are satisfied that the organization has changed how it works, become more open, and is no longer influenced by China or involved in certain political issues. It also says the WHO could not have legal power over U.S. citizens or states as part of any membership agreement.

  • The WHO would need to make major reforms so humanitarian aid is not used for politics and goes to the people who need it most.
  • The bill says the WHO must not be under the control or major influence of the Chinese Communist Party, and it must not have helped cover up China’s response to COVID-19.
  • The WHO would need to give Taiwan observer status, improve transparency, and add stronger protections against waste, fraud, and abuse.
  • The WHO would also have to stop funding or messaging on issues the bill describes as outside its mission, including gender identity, climate change, and abortion, and agree that its directives are not legally binding on Americans or state governments.

Official Summaries

No summaries available

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 774 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 774

  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 until certain conditions have been met.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 27, 2025

 Mrs. Blackburn (for herself, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Scott of Florida, and 
   Mr. Cruz) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 until certain conditions have been met.

    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 after the Secretary of State certifies to Congress 
that the World Health Organization meets all of the conditions 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Conditions Described.--The conditions described in this 
subsection will be met when the World Health Organization--
            (1) has adopted meaningful reforms to ensure that 
        humanitarian assistance is not politicized and is being 
        provided to those with the most need;
            (2) is not under the control or significant malign 
        influence of the Chinese Communist Party;
            (3) is not involved in a coverup of the Chinese Communist 
        Party's response to the COVID-19 pandemic;
            (4) grants observer status to Taiwan;
            (5) is not diverting humanitarian or medical supplies to 
        Iran, North Korea, or Syria;
            (6) has established mechanisms to increase transparency and 
        accountability in its operations and eliminate waste, fraud, 
        and abuse;
            (7) 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; and
            (8) has agreed, as a condition of membership by the United 
        States in the World Health Organization, that no directive 
        issued by the World Health Organization may be considered to be 
        legally binding on any United States citizen or individual 
        State.
                                 <all>