[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1841 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1841
To review current restrictions on travel to North Korea, call for a
formal end to the Korean War, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 4, 2025
Mr. Sherman (for himself, Mr. Biggs of Arizona, Ms. Chu, Mr. Min, Mr.
Moylan, Ms. Norton, Mr. Amo, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Casar, Mr. Carson, Mr.
Correa, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Frost, Mr. Garcia of
Illinois, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Jackson
of Illinois, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Levin, Ms.
Lofgren, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Omar, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms.
Strickland, Mr. Takano, Ms. Titus, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Tran, and Mr. Vargas)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To review current restrictions on travel to North Korea, call for a
formal end to the Korean War, and for other purposes.
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 ``Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On July 27, 1953, the commander in chief of the United
Nations Command signed an armistice agreement with the supreme
commander of the North Korean People's Army and the commander
of the Chinese People's Volunteers, aiming to ``insure a
complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed
force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved''.
(2) The armistice agreement neither formally ended the war
nor represented a final peaceful settlement.
(3) On April 27, 2018, in Panmunjom, the leaders of South
Korea and North Korea declared that ``a new era of peace has
begun on the Korean peninsula'', and committed ``to declare the
end of war'' on the Korean peninsula 65 years after the signing
of the armistice agreement.
(4) In its roll out of its policy towards North Korea, the
Biden Administration expressed support for the Singapore
framework, which identifies peace on the Korean peninsula as an
objective of any future negotiations between the United States
and North Korea.
(5) The United States should pursue a sustained and
credible diplomatic process to achieve an end to the Korean
war, and every effort should be made to avoid military
confrontation with North Korea.
(6) The persistence of a state of war does not serve the
national interest of the United States and its allies.
(7) One major consequence of the continuation of the Korean
war is that the United States does not have formal relations
with North Korea, which has prevented Korean Americans with
relatives in North Korea from seeing their families.
(8) Approximately 100,000 Americans have relatives living
in North Korea.
(9) At the Hanoi Summit in February 2019, the United States
and North Korea discussed formally ending the Korean war and
the exchange of diplomatic liaison offices, however these
discussions did not advance due to a stalemate on nuclear and
missile issues.
(10) The ongoing nuclear- and ballistic-missile-related
activities of North Korea continue to pose a threat to
international peace and security.
SEC. 3. HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING VISITING NORTH KOREA.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
current restrictions barring United States nationals traveling to the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warrant review by the
Secretary of State.
(b) Review.--The Secretary of State shall conduct a full review of
the restrictions in place conditioning the travel of United States
nationals to the DPRK. Such review shall include consideration of the
following:
(1) The Department of State's guidance as to the nature of
travel to the DPRK that qualifies as ``in the national
interest'' of the United States, including whether the scope of
travel qualifying as such should be adjusted.
(2) The ``compelling humanitarian considerations'' that
qualify a United States national for travel to the DPRK,
including whether the scope of travel permissible under such
considerations should be adjusted.
(3) Whether, and if so, to what extent and under what
conditions, travel to the DPRK for the purposes of attending to
or witnessing funerals, burials, or other religious and family
commemorations of relatives of United States nationals in the
DPRK does or should qualify as ``compelling humanitarian
considerations'' meriting issuance of Special Validation
Passports to such nationals.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate a report detailing the review conducted under subsection
(b). Such report shall include a comprehensive description of
the Department of State's consideration of all matters
described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of such subsection,
including, as applicable, any related policy changes and the
rationale behind the Department's decision to make or refrain
from making policy changes relating to such matters.
(2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified
annex.
SEC. 4. CALLING FOR A FORMAL END TO THE KOREAN WAR.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that given the
commitment of the leaders of South Korea and North Korea in Panmunjom
on April 27, 2018, to actively promote meetings involving the United
States ``with a view to replacing the Armistice Agreement with a peace
agreement and establishing a permanent and solid peace regime'', the
Secretary of State should pursue serious, urgent diplomatic engagement
with North Korea and South Korea in pursuit of a binding peace
agreement constituting a formal and final end to the state of war
between North Korea, South Korea, and the United States.
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate a report that describes a clear roadmap for achieving a
permanent peace agreement on the Korean peninsula.
(2) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) contain an accounting of the steps necessary to
enter into negotiations with North Korea and South
Korea to conclude a binding peace agreement;
(B) identify the key stakeholders involved in such
negotiations; and
(C) describe the challenges concerning the ability
of the United States to achieve a binding peace
agreement constituting a formal and final end to the
state of war between North Korea, South Korea, and the
United States.
(3) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified
annex.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHING LIAISON OFFICES.
It is the sense of Congress that given the joint statement signed
by the United States and North Korea in Singapore on June 12, 2018,
which included an agreement to ``establish new U.S.-DPRK relations in
accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for
peace and prosperity'', the Secretary of State should seek to enter
into negotiations with the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea
(DPRK) to establish liaison offices of the DPRK and the United States
in the respective capitals of each such country.
SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act may be construed to affect the status of United
States Armed Forces stationed in South Korea or any other foreign
country.
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