H.R. 1841

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1841 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1841

To review current restrictions on travel to North Korea, call for a 
formal end to the Korean War, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 4, 2025

Mr. Sherman (for himself, Mr. Biggs of Arizona, Ms. Chu, Mr. Min, Mr. 
Moylan, Ms. Norton, Mr. Amo, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Casar, Mr. Carson, Mr. 
Correa, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Frost, Mr. Garcia of 
Illinois, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Jackson 
of Illinois, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Levin, Ms. 
Lofgren, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Omar, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. 
Strickland, Mr. Takano, Ms. Titus, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Tran, and Mr. Vargas) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To review current restrictions on travel to North Korea, call for a 
formal end to the Korean War, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On July 27, 1953, the commander in chief of the United 
Nations Command signed an armistice agreement with the supreme 
commander of the North Korean People's Army and the commander 
of the Chinese People's Volunteers, aiming to ``insure a 
complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed 
force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved''.
(2) The armistice agreement neither formally ended the war 
nor represented a final peaceful settlement.
(3) On April 27, 2018, in Panmunjom, the leaders of South 
Korea and North Korea declared that ``a new era of peace has 
begun on the Korean peninsula'', and committed ``to declare the 
end of war'' on the Korean peninsula 65 years after the signing 
of the armistice agreement.
(4) In its roll out of its policy towards North Korea, the 
Biden Administration expressed support for the Singapore 
framework, which identifies peace on the Korean peninsula as an 
objective of any future negotiations between the United States 
and North Korea.
(5) The United States should pursue a sustained and 
credible diplomatic process to achieve an end to the Korean 
war, and every effort should be made to avoid military 
confrontation with North Korea.
(6) The persistence of a state of war does not serve the 
national interest of the United States and its allies.
(7) One major consequence of the continuation of the Korean 
war is that the United States does not have formal relations 
with North Korea, which has prevented Korean Americans with 
relatives in North Korea from seeing their families.
(8) Approximately 100,000 Americans have relatives living 
in North Korea.
(9) At the Hanoi Summit in February 2019, the United States 
and North Korea discussed formally ending the Korean war and 
the exchange of diplomatic liaison offices, however these 
discussions did not advance due to a stalemate on nuclear and 
missile issues.
(10) The ongoing nuclear- and ballistic-missile-related 
activities of North Korea continue to pose a threat to 
international peace and security.

SEC. 3. HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING VISITING NORTH KOREA.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
current restrictions barring United States nationals traveling to the 
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warrant review by the 
Secretary of State.
(b) Review.--The Secretary of State shall conduct a full review of 
the restrictions in place conditioning the travel of United States 
nationals to the DPRK. Such review shall include consideration of the 
following:
(1) The Department of State's guidance as to the nature of 
travel to the DPRK that qualifies as ``in the national 
interest'' of the United States, including whether the scope of 
travel qualifying as such should be adjusted.
(2) The ``compelling humanitarian considerations'' that 
qualify a United States national for travel to the DPRK, 
including whether the scope of travel permissible under such 
considerations should be adjusted.
(3) Whether, and if so, to what extent and under what 
conditions, travel to the DPRK for the purposes of attending to 
or witnessing funerals, burials, or other religious and family 
commemorations of relatives of United States nationals in the 
DPRK does or should qualify as ``compelling humanitarian 
considerations'' meriting issuance of Special Validation 
Passports to such nationals.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate a report detailing the review conducted under subsection 
(b). Such report shall include a comprehensive description of 
the Department of State's consideration of all matters 
described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of such subsection, 
including, as applicable, any related policy changes and the 
rationale behind the Department's decision to make or refrain 
from making policy changes relating to such matters.
(2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
annex.

SEC. 4. CALLING FOR A FORMAL END TO THE KOREAN WAR.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that given the 
commitment of the leaders of South Korea and North Korea in Panmunjom 
on April 27, 2018, to actively promote meetings involving the United 
States ``with a view to replacing the Armistice Agreement with a peace 
agreement and establishing a permanent and solid peace regime'', the 
Secretary of State should pursue serious, urgent diplomatic engagement 
with North Korea and South Korea in pursuit of a binding peace 
agreement constituting a formal and final end to the state of war 
between North Korea, South Korea, and the United States.
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate a report that describes a clear roadmap for achieving a 
permanent peace agreement on the Korean peninsula.
(2) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
shall--
(A) contain an accounting of the steps necessary to 
enter into negotiations with North Korea and South 
Korea to conclude a binding peace agreement;
(B) identify the key stakeholders involved in such 
negotiations; and
(C) describe the challenges concerning the ability 
of the United States to achieve a binding peace 
agreement constituting a formal and final end to the 
state of war between North Korea, South Korea, and the 
United States.
(3) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
annex.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHING LIAISON OFFICES.

It is the sense of Congress that given the joint statement signed 
by the United States and North Korea in Singapore on June 12, 2018, 
which included an agreement to ``establish new U.S.-DPRK relations in 
accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for 
peace and prosperity'', the Secretary of State should seek to enter 
into negotiations with the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea 
(DPRK) to establish liaison offices of the DPRK and the United States 
in the respective capitals of each such country.

SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Nothing in this Act may be construed to affect the status of United 
States Armed Forces stationed in South Korea or any other foreign 
country.
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