Ted Budd (R-NC)
Banning Perpetrators of Religious Persecution Act of 2026
A Republican bill with 7 Republican cosponsors · See all 7 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Banning Perpetrators of Religious Persecution Act of 2026," seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. It aims to restrict visa issuance by making certain individuals inadmissible to the United States. Specifically, it targets those who have directed, authorized, supported, or carried out violations of religious freedom. This includes foreign government officials responsible for particularly severe violations. The bill also requires the Secretary of State to post the names of these individuals and the locations of the violations on a public website.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this protect the freedom to practise a religion?
The bill promotes religious freedom by imposing inadmissibility on those who violate it.
- Scored +4
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires the Secretary of State to post names of violators and locations of violations on a public website.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Does this favour talking over confrontation abroad?
The bill notes that publicizing names of violators could lead to adverse foreign policy consequences.
- Scored -2
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?
The bill adds new grounds for inadmissibility which could impact the movement of individuals.
- Scored -2
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill creates new categories of inadmissible aliens which restricts immigration access.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Inadmissibility of violators: The bill would prevent certain individuals from entering the United States if they have directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom (Section 2).
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Public transparency: The Secretary of State would be required to post the names of inadmissible aliens and the locations where the violations occurred on a publicly accessible website (Section 2, clause (ii)(I)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Foreign policy risks: The Secretary of State may determine that releasing the identity of an inadmissible alien would have adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States (Section 2, clause (ii)(II)(a)).
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Lack of transparency for certain cases: The Secretary of State has sole and unreviewable discretion to exclude an alien's identity from public disclosure if foreign policy consequences are a concern (Section 2, clause (ii)(II)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the Secretary of State to post names of violators and locations of violations on a public website.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this favour talking over confrontation abroad? — The bill notes that publicizing names of violators could lead to adverse foreign policy consequences.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this protect the freedom to practise a religion? — The bill promotes religious freedom by imposing inadmissibility on those who violate it. Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — The bill adds new grounds for inadmissibility which could impact the movement of individuals.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill creates new categories of inadmissible aliens which restricts immigration access.
- 1/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 7 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Marsha BlackburnRepublican · Tennessee
Jim BanksRepublican · Indiana
Tom CottonRepublican · Arkansas
Ted CruzRepublican · Texas
John KennedyRepublican · Louisiana
James LankfordRepublican · Oklahoma
Ashley MoodyRepublican · Florida