Transnational Repression Policy Act

This bill aims to protect people in the U.S., and Americans abroad, from “transnational repression”—when a foreign government reaches across borders to threaten, silence, or harm people like dissidents, activists, journalists, international students, and members of diaspora communities. It sets a national policy to work with partners overseas and to bring criminal cases when appropriate to hold perpetrators accountable.

It directs the government to deliver a strategy within 270 days to raise awareness, protect targets, and work more closely with allies. The plan would build coalitions, speak out at places like the United Nations, support nonprofits that help victims, coordinate U.S. law enforcement, and do outreach to at‑risk communities. It also looks at possible updates to U.S. law, like making it a crime to collect information on diaspora communities for foreign regimes, reviewing “overseas police stations” run by foreign governments, and weighing civil liberties impacts .

The Justice Department and Homeland Security must publish a public toolkit within 270 days so targeted people know where to get help, do proactive outreach on what incidents to report, train congressional caseworkers each year, and study how purchased data and spyware are misused by repressive governments. The State Department and U.S. law enforcement will get training on tactics used by perpetrators, which communities are most at risk, and digital surveillance tools; trainees include DHS, FBI, INTERPOL Washington, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and others. Funding is authorized in fiscal year 2026 to build these trainings and materials .

• Who is affected: People targeted by foreign governments, including dissidents, activists, journalists, students, and diaspora communities; federal, state, and local law enforcement; nonprofits that support victims.
• What changes: A 270‑day strategy; a public help toolkit; more outreach; annual updates; expanded training; study of data and tech misuse; possible future legal updates to better protect communities .
• When: Strategy and toolkit due within 270 days; annual updates after that; funding authorized for fiscal year 2026 .