S. 4473

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4473 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4473

To require the Secretary of State to annually issue a list of People's 
Republic of China-origin entities carrying out mining involving forced 
labor or causing environmental harm in African countries, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 30, 2026

Mr. Sheehy (for himself and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of State to annually issue a list of People's 
Republic of China-origin entities carrying out mining involving forced 
labor or causing environmental harm in African countries, 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 ``China-Africa Mining Transparency 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL LIST OF PRC ENTITIES CARRYING OUT MINING INVOLVING 
FORCED LABOR OR CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL HARM IN AFRICAN 
COUNTRIES.

(a) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Artisanal and small-scale mining.--The term ``artisanal 
and small-scale mining'' means a form of mining common in the 
developing world that--
(A) typically employs rudimentary and low-cost 
extractive technologies and manual labor-intensive 
techniques;
(B) is frequently subject to limited regulation; 
and
(C) often features inhumane, harsh, and dangerous 
working conditions.
(2) Critical mineral.--The term ``critical mineral'' has 
the meaning given that term in section 7002(a) of the Energy 
Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a)).
(3) Environmental harm to a protected area.--The term 
``environmental harm to a protected area'' means damage to the 
environment of a protected area, such as--
(A) contamination of water resources, streams, 
rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water, including 
wells, aquifers, or soil;
(B) soil degradation or erosion; or
(C) degradation of aquatic or terrestrial 
ecosystems or biodiversity loss.
(4) Forced labor.--The term ``forced labor'' has the 
meaning given that term in section 307 of the Tariff Act of 
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).
(5) Large-scale mining.--The term ``large-scale mining'' 
means capital-intensive, usually highly mechanized, typically 
industrial-scale mining carried out by large commercial 
entities.
(6) PRC entity.--The term ``PRC entity'' means--
(A) an entity under the ownership, control, or 
influence of--
(i) the Government of the People's Republic 
of China;
(ii) the Chinese Communist Party; or
(iii) a military, intelligence, or 
paramilitary entity of the Chinese Communist 
Party or the People's Republic of China;
(B) an entity that is organized under the laws of, 
or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of, the 
People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and 
Macau);
(C) an entity majority-owned, majority-controlled, 
or majority-financed by an entity described in 
subparagraph (A) or (B); or
(D) a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or contractor 
of an entity described in subparagraph (A), (B), or 
(C), including a joint venture in which an entity 
described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) holds a 
controlling interest.
(7) Protected area.--The term ``protected area'' means any 
area that has received protected status in the country in which 
the area is located, such as a national park, game refuge, 
ecosystem reserve, or other nature preserve.
(8) Relevant congressional committees.--The term ``relevant 
congressional committees'' means the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives.
(b) In General.--Not less frequently than once each year during the 
5-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of State shall submit to the relevant congressional 
committees, and make publicly available, including on the internet, a 
list of--
(1) each PRC entity that the Secretary reasonably assesses 
is carrying out mining, including large-scale mining or 
artisanal and small-scale mining, of critical minerals, gold, 
or iron in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, 
Guinea, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, or any other country in 
Africa--
(A) using forced labor; or
(B) in a manner that causes environmental harm to a 
protected area in the country concerned; and
(2) each mine, mining zone, or concession at which such 
mining is carried out.
(c) Development of List.--In developing each list required by 
subsection (b), the Secretary of State shall--
(1) use open-source information, including from press 
sources and academic, non-profit, and other non-state research 
organizations or individual researchers, and information 
received, collected, or otherwise obtained by United States 
embassies; and
(2) consult with the Secretary of Labor, through the Bureau 
of International Labor Affairs of the Department of Labor, the 
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Treasury, the 
Director of National Intelligence, and other heads of Federal 
departments and agencies, and the foreign country counterparts 
of such individuals in the countries specified in subsection 
(b)(1).
(d) Form.--Each list required by subsection (b) shall be made 
publicly available and submitted to the relevant congressional 
committees in unclassified form, but the version submitted to the 
relevant congressional committees may include a classified annex, if 
warranted.
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