Timothy Kaine (D-VA)
Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 51.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill directs the Secretary of State to create a private, internal national registry for Korean American families divided by the Korean War Armistice Agreement. The registry aims to identify families who wish to be reunited with relatives in North Korea through in-person or video reunions. The Secretary is also tasked with ensuring that direct dialogue with North Korea includes progress on these reunions. Additionally, the Secretary must consult with the Government of the Republic of Korea and provide specific progress reports.
Yes
- Scored +8
Would Asian Americans be better off under this?
The bill specifically targets the needs of Korean American families to reunite with relatives in North Korea.
- Scored +5
Does this strengthen Social Security?
The bill establishes a registry to facilitate reunions for Korean American families separated by the Korean War.
- Scored +4
Does this favour talking over confrontation abroad?
The bill directs the Secretary of State to include progress on family reunions in direct dialogues with North Korea.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The registry involves collecting personally identifiable information that may be shared under specific agreements.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Facilitating Family Reunions: The establishment of a national registry is intended to facilitate future in-scon or video reunions between Korean American families and their relatives in North Korea (Section 2(a)(1) and 2(a)(2)(A)).
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Preserving Family History: The registry serves as a repository for information regarding Korean American families and their family members in North Korea, including those who may be deceased (Section 2(a)(2)(B)).
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Information Sharing Opportunities: The Secretary of State has the authority to enter into agreements to share registry information with Korean individuals, families, or academic institutions, provided the individual has given consent and privacy protections are in place (Section 2(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Privacy Concerns: While the registry is described as a private, internal database, the bill allows for the disclosure of information through agreements, which necessitates specific commitments to ensure information is kept confidential and not disclosed improperly (Section 2(b)).
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The bill specifically targets the needs of Korean American families to reunite with relatives in North Korea.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this strengthen Social Security? — The bill establishes a registry to facilitate reunions for Korean American families separated by the Korean War.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this favour talking over confrontation abroad? — The bill directs the Secretary of State to include progress on family reunions in direct dialogues with North Korea.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The registry involves collecting personally identifiable information that may be shared under specific agreements.
- 9/4/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/28/2025
- Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 51.
- 3/27/2025
- Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 2/12/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Ted CruzRepublican · Texas
Mark KellyDemocrat · Arizona
Jon OssoffDemocrat · Georgia
Pete RickettsRepublican · Nebraska