Breaking Beijing’s Hold on Campus Act of 2024

HR 7590, the "Breaking Beijing’s Hold on Campus Act of 2024," requires students and diplomats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea to certify they will not engage in "transnational repression" to suppress U.S. rights. Specifically, visa applicants must pledge they won’t report on students exercising constitutional rights or monitor students with family in those nations for the purpose of suppressing dissent. Violating this certification would immediately terminate their visa status. The bill defines transnational repression broadly as actions intending to intimidate U.S. persons over protected rights, including reporting to foreign governments or engaging in extrajudicial tactics. It directly affects nationals of the four listed countries seeking student or diplomatic visas in the U.S.