This bipartisan and bicameral legislation requires the Secretaries of State and Defense to jointly report on Russian efforts to persecute, suppress, and violate the religious freedoms of faith communities in Ukraine and Russian-occupied territories. It also directs the President to impose sanctions on foreign individuals found to have engaged in these actions.
Support legislation to require federal reporting on Russian persecution of religious communities in Ukraine and sanctions on foreign individuals involved.
Occurrences
Evidence
Last Action Date Listed: April 22, 2026. Action: Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Quigley) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and Ways and Means... Full Title: To require the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to jointly submit a report on efforts by the Government of the Russian Federation to persecute, suppress, discriminate, or otherwise violate the religious freedoms of Ukraine and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, to require the President to impose all applicable sanctions with respect to foreign persons certified to have engaged in such efforts, and for other purposes.
Last Action Date Listed: April 22, 2026. Action: Mr. Kennedy (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Full Title: To require the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to jointly submit a report on efforts by the Government of the Russian Federation to violate the religious freedoms of the people of Ukraine, to require the President to impose all applicable sanctions with respect to foreign persons determined to have engaged in such efforts, and for other purposes.
Assessments
Kaptur fulfilled the promise as worded because it was a commitment to support legislation, not necessarily to secure enactment. During her current federal House term, she joined the April 22, 2026 introduction of H.R. 8433, a bill matching the promised policy: required State and Defense reporting on Russian persecution of religious communities in Ukraine and sanctions on foreign persons involved. The bill had not passed, so this would not count as delivery of the underlying statutory policy, but it does satisfy the narrower promise to support such legislation.