I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4281 
To impose sanctions on persons who are knowingly responsible for or complicit 
in, or have directly or indirectly engaged in, supporting the illegal occupa-
tion of Tibet, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 30, 2021 
Mr. PERRY (for himself, Mr. TIFFANY, and Mr. DESJARLAIS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To impose sanctions on persons who are knowingly respon-
sible for or complicit in, or have directly or indirectly 
engaged in, supporting the illegal occupation of Tibet, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tibet Independence 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Congress listed Tibet as a separate country 
from the People’s Republic of China in the Export- 
Import Bank Act Amendments of 1986. 
(2) The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 declares that Congress 
views Tibet as an ‘‘occupied country’’, and that Chi-
na’s control of Tibet remains illegal under inter-
national law. 
(3) The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 further establishes that 
‘‘it is the policy of the United States to oppose ag-
gression and other illegal uses of force by one coun-
try against the sovereignty of another as a manner 
of acquiring territory, and to condemn violations of 
international law, including the illegal occupation of 
one country by another’’. 
(4) The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 conveyed the Sense of 
Congress that ‘‘the United States should seek to es-
tablish a dialogue with those recognized by Congress 
as the true representatives of the Tibetan people, the 
Dalai Lama, his representatives and the Tibetan 
Government in Exile’’. 
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(5) On November 18, 2020, the United States 
House of Representatives approved without objection 
H. Res. 697, which ‘‘affirms the cultural and reli-
gious significance of the goal of genuine autonomy 
for the people of Tibet and the deep bond between 
the American and Tibetan people’’. 
(6) In 1951, the People’s Republic of China co-
erced Tibetan representatives to sign, under duress, 
an unlawful settlement known as the Seventeen 
Point Agreement. This agreement states that ‘‘the 
Tibetan people have the right to exercise national re-
gional autonomy under the unified leadership of the 
Central People’s Government’’ and additionally, that 
‘‘the central authorities will not alter the existing po-
litical system in Tibet’’. 
(7) The establishment of the independent state 
of Tibet predates the 1951 Seventeen Point Agree-
ment by many hundreds of years. 
(8) In rejecting the seven-decade long illegal oc-
cupation of Tibet by the forces of the Chinese Com-
munist Party, the United States of America would 
provide relief to a long-suffering people and reinforce 
its reputation as a strident defender of global human 
rights. 
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(9) It would benefit the national security of the 
United States to recognize Tibet, which comprises 
the original three Tibetan provinces of Amdo, Kham, 
and U–Tsang, as a separate, independent country. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY; AUTHORIZATION; SENSE 
OF CONGRESS. 
(a) It is the policy of the United States to— 
(1) acknowledge that Tibet was an independent 
country prior to the People’s Republic of China’s il-
legal occupation of Tibet’s sovereign territory in 
1951; 
(2) affirm that all territorial claims by the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China over the area known as 
Tibet, which comprises the original three Tibetan 
provinces of Amdo, Kham, and U–Tsang, are invalid 
and without merit; and 
(3) recognize that the democratically elected 
government of Tibet, presently named as the Central 
Tibetan Administration, is the only governing au-
thority of Tibet. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION.—The President is authorized to 
recognize Tibet, which comprises the original Tibetan 
provinces of Amdo, Kham, and U–Tsang, as a separate, 
independent country, in accordance with subsection (a), 
immediately upon enactment of this Act. 
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(c) SENSE
OF CONGRESS.—The President of the 
United States should invite the incumbent Sikyong (Presi-
dent) of Tibet to the United States for an official state 
visit no later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 4. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE 
CONTINUED ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF TIBET. 
(a) IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.—The President shall 
impose the sanctions described in subsection (c) with re-
spect to each foreign person included in the most recent 
list submitted pursuant to subsection (b). 
(b) LIST OF PERSONS.— 
(1) Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the President shall sub-
mit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
list of foreign persons, including senior government 
officials, military leaders, and other persons, who the 
President determines are knowingly responsible for 
or complicit in, or have directly or indirectly engaged 
in, supporting the Chinese Communist Party’s illegal 
occupation of Tibet. 
(2) UPDATES OF LISTS.—The President shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
an updated list under paragraph (1)— 
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(A) not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act and annually 
thereafter for 5 years; or 
(B) as new information becomes available. 
(3) FORM.—The list required by paragraph (1) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may in-
clude a classified annex. 
(c) SANCTIONS
DESCRIBED.—The sanctions de-
scribed in this subsection are the following: 
(1) BLOCKING OF PROPERTY.—The President 
shall exercise all of the powers granted to the Presi-
dent by the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (except that 
the requirements of section 202 of such Act (50 
U.S.C. 1701) shall not apply) to the extent nec-
essary to block and prohibit all transactions in prop-
erty and interests in property of the person if such 
property and interests in property are in the United 
States, come within the United States, or are or 
come within the possession or control of a United 
States person. 
(2) INADMISSIBILITY
OF
CERTAIN
INDIVID-
UALS.— 
(A) INELIGIBILITY FOR VISAS, ADMISSION, 
OR PAROLE.—A foreign person included in the 
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most recent list submitted pursuant to sub-
section (b) is— 
(i) inadmissible to the United States; 
(ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other 
documentation to enter the United States; 
and 
(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted 
or paroled into the United States or to re-
ceive any other benefit under the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et 
seq.). 
(B) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.—A foreign 
person described in subparagraph (A) is also 
subject to the following: 
(i) Revocation of any visa or other 
entry documentation regardless of when 
the visa or other entry documentation is or 
was issued. 
(ii) A revocation under clause (i) shall 
take effect immediately and automatically 
cancel any other valid visa or entry docu-
mentation that is in the foreign person’s 
possession. 
(3) EXCEPTION.—Sanctions under paragraph 
(2) shall not apply to an alien if admitting or parol-
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ing the alien into the United States is necessary to 
permit the United States to comply with the Agree-
ment regarding the Headquarters of the United Na-
tions, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and 
entered into force November 21, 1947, between the 
United Nations and the United States, or other ap-
plicable international obligations of the United 
States. 
(d) PENALTIES.—The penalties provided for in sub-
sections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall 
apply to a person who violates, attempts to violate, con-
spires to violate, or causes a violation of regulations pro-
mulgated to carry out subsection (a) to the same extent 
that such penalties apply to a person who commits an un-
lawful act described in section 206(a) of that Act. 
(e) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH NATIONAL SECU-
RITY.—The following activities shall be exempt from sanc-
tions under this section: 
(1) Activities subject to the reporting require-
ments under title V of the National Security Act of 
1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.). 
(2) Any authorized intelligence or law enforce-
ment activities of the United States. 
(f) WAIVER.— 
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