WHO is Accountable Act

Bill: 119-hr-600
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19]
Introduced: 2025-01-22
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>WHO is Accountable Act</strong></p><p>This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to seek U.S. membership in the World Health Organization (WHO), or to make contributions to the WHO, until the Department of State makes certain certifications to Congress.</p><p>Specifically, these prohibitions shall apply until the State Department certifies that the WHO has met certain conditions, including that the WHO (1) has adopted reforms to ensure that humanitarian assistance is not politicized; (2) is not under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and is not involved in a cover-up of the CCP's response to the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) has granted observer status to Taiwan; and (4) has ceased engagement on certain issues, such as climate change, access to abortion, and gender identity.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 600 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 22, 2025 Mr. Arrington (for himself, Mr. Crenshaw , Mr. Estes , and Mr. Steube ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To prohibit the use of funds to seek membership in the World Health Organization or to provide assessed or voluntary contributions to the World Health Organization.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the WHO is Accountable Act . 2. Prohibition on use of funds to seek membership in the World Health Organization or to provide assessed or voluntary contributions to the World Health Organization (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds available to any Federal department or agency may be used to seek membership by the United States in the World Health Organization or to provide assessed or voluntary contributions to the World Health Organization until such time as the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that the World Health Organization meets the conditions described in subsection (b). (b) Conditions described The conditions described in this subsection are the following: (1) The World Health Organization has adopted meaningful reforms to ensure that humanitarian assistance is not politicized and is to be provided to those with the most need. (2) The World Health Organization is not under the control or significant malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party. (3) The World Health Organization is not involved in a coverup of the Chinese Communist Party’s response to the COVID–19 pandemic. (4) The World Health Organization grants observer status to Taiwan. (5) The World Health Organization does not divert humanitarian or medical supplies to Iran, North Korea, or Syria. (6) The World Health Organization has put in place mechanisms to increase transparency and accountability in its operations and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. (7) The World Health Organization has ceased all funding for, engagement in, and messaging with respect to certain controversial and politically charged issues that are non-germane to the World Health Organization’s directive, including— (A) so-called gender identity and harmful rhetoric relating to gender affirming care ; (B) climate change; and (C) access to abortion. (8) The World Health Organization has agreed that as a condition of membership by the United States in the World Health Organization, no directive issued by the World Health Organization may be considered to be legally binding on any United States citizen or individual State.