I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1273 
To direct the Secretary of State to establish a national registry of Korean 
American divided families, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 12, 2025 
Mr. SUBRAMANYAM (for himself, Mrs. KIM, Mr. CONNOLLY, and Ms. 
MALLIOTAKIS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of State to establish a national 
registry of Korean American divided families, 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 ‘‘Korean American Di-
vided Families National Registry Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL REGISTRY OF KOREAN AMERICAN DI-
VIDED FAMILIES. 
The Secretary of State, acting through the Special 
Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues or such 
other individual as the Secretary may designate, shall— 
(1) collate information on Korean American 
families who wish to be reunited with family mem-
bers in North Korea from which such Korean Amer-
ican families were divided after the signing of the 
Agreement Concerning a Military Armistice in 
Korea, signed at Panmunjom July 27, 1953 (com-
monly referred to as the ‘‘Korean War Armistice 
Agreement’’), in anticipation of future reunions for 
such families and family members, including in-per-
son and video reunions; and 
(2) establish a private internal national registry 
of the names and other relevant information of such 
Korean American families— 
(A) to host such future reunions in South 
Korea, the United States, or third countries; 
and 
(B) to provide for a private internal reposi-
tory of information about such Korean Amer-
ican families and family members in North 
Korea, including information about individuals 
who may be deceased. 
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SEC. 3. ACTIONS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE 
UNITED STATES AND NORTH KOREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall take 
such actions as may be necessary to ensure that any direct 
dialogue between the United States and North Korea in-
cludes progress towards holding future reunions for Ko-
rean American families and their family members in North 
Korea as described in section 2. 
(b) CONSULTATIONS.—The Secretary of State shall 
consult with the Government of the Republic of Korea in 
carrying out this section. 
(c) REPORT.—No later than one year after enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the 
Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a report on— 
(1) the status of the national registry estab-
lished pursuant to section 2(a)(2); 
(2) the number of individuals included on the 
registry who— 
(A) have met their family members in 
North Korea during previous reunions; and 
(B) have yet to meet their family members 
in North Korea during previous reunions; 
(3) a summary of responses by North Korea to 
requests to hold reunions of divided families; and 
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(4) a description of regulations in North Korea 
and actions taken by North Korea in the year pre-
vious to submission of each report that prevent the 
emigration of family members of Korean American 
families. 
(d) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this Act, ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate. 
Æ 
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