PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 32 - 8.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Sep 10, 2026
Stop China’s Exploitation of Congolese Children and Adult Forced Labor through Cobalt Mining Act
This bill requires the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to complete and submit to Congress the results of an investigation into the alleged use of forced labor in the cobalt mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Specifically, the task force must (1) submit to Congress strategies for preventing the importation of cobalt mined using forced labor, and (2) provide semiannual briefings to Congress.
This requirement ceases to have effect on the earlier of (1) eight years after the date of enactment, or (2) the date on which the President submits to Congress a determination that forced labor in the DRC mining industry has ended.
People & committees
Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · R–NJ
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 32 - 8.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Sep 28, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-10 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This bill would require a federal task force to investigate alleged forced labor in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It would require strategies for keeping cobalt mined with forced labor out of the United States, including when it arrives through other countries or in products containing cobalt. The work would guide import enforcement and require ongoing reporting to Congress.
shall complete and submit to the appropriate congressional committees the results of an investigation into the alleged use of forced labor in the cobalt mining industry of the DRC
contains a strategy to ensure that cobalt mined by forced labor does not enter the United States market as goods imported from third countries
categories of downstream products that include cobalt mined in the DRC and are, therefore, identified as priority sectors for enforcement
the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force shall provide briefings to the appropriate congressional committees on a semiannual basis
The term DRC means the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The bill’s findings describe cobalt’s use in batteries, reported Chinese company ownership of Congolese mines, and concerns about forced labor, including child labor. These are statements presented in the bill’s findings, rather than independently verified conclusions of this analysis.
Cobalt is an essential component of most lithium-ion batteries, which are key components in many smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles, among other electronic devices.
Fifteen of the DRC’s 19 cobalt mines are reportedly owned wholly or in part by companies located in the People’s Republic of China.
Numerous analysts report significant concerns with forced labor, including forced or indentured child labor, in the DRC mining industry.
Within 180 days after enactment, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force would have to complete its investigation and submit the results to the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee. It would consult the heads of other relevant federal agencies.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, established under section 741 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 4682), in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall complete and submit to the appropriate congressional committees the results of an investigation
The term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Finance of the Senate.
The investigation would have to include a strategy to enforce the existing forced-labor import restriction in section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930. Required measures would trace goods’ origins, make cobalt supply chains more transparent, and seek to keep cobalt mined with forced labor out of the United States.
Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) states that it is illegal to import into the United States goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced labor, including forced or indentured child labor.
contains a strategy for the United States Government to effectively enforce section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) to prevent the importation into the United States of cobalt mined by forced labor that includes measures that— (A) can trace the origin of goods and offer greater supply chain transparency relating to cobalt from the DRC; and (B) ensure that cobalt mined by forced labor does not enter the United States
Separate required strategies would address cobalt mined with forced labor arriving in goods from other countries and cobalt entering later after previously being denied entry.
(2) contains a strategy to ensure that cobalt mined by forced labor does not enter the United States market as goods imported from third countries; and (3) contains a strategy to ensure that cobalt mined by forced labor and denied entry to the United States market does not later enter the United States market.
The investigation would list entities in the Congo that potentially mine or process cobalt using forced labor. It would also identify categories of products containing Congolese cobalt as enforcement priorities; that product-category list would not be limited to products already proven to involve forced labor.
A list of— (A) entities in the DRC that potentially mine or process cobalt using forced labor; and (B) categories of downstream products that include cobalt mined in the DRC and are, therefore, identified as priority sectors for enforcement under section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).
The investigation would recommend efforts and technologies to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection identify and trace Congolese cobalt mined with forced labor. It would explain how the entity list would be regularly updated and reported to the designated congressional committees.
(2) Recommendations for efforts, initiatives, and tools and technologies to be adopted to ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection can accurately identify and trace cobalt mined by forced labor in the DRC. (3) A description of how the list of entities required by subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) shall be regularly updated and reported to the appropriate congressional committees.
The investigation would include a strategy for working with nongovernmental organizations and private businesses or other private-sector entities to implement enforcement and create and update the entity list.
A strategy to coordinate and collaborate with appropriate nongovernmental organizations and private sector entities to implement the enforcement strategy for cobalt mined with forced labor and to create and update the list of entities required in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1).
The report and any publicly published updates would have to be submitted in unclassified form. A classified attachment could be included if necessary.
The report required by subsection (a) and any publicly published updates described by subsection (d) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex, if necessary.
After submitting the strategy, the task force would brief the designated congressional committees every six months. As applicable, briefings would cover strategy updates, additional actions against forced-labor cobalt imports, and Customs and Border Protection’s enforcement involving Congolese cobalt.
After the submission of the strategy required by subsection (a), the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force shall provide briefings to the appropriate congressional committees on a semiannual basis and, as applicable, on— (1) any updates to the strategy required by subsection (a); (2) any additional actions taken to prevent the importation of cobalt mined with forced labor, including actions described in this Act; and (3) any action U.S. Customs and Border Protection has taken to enforce section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) with respect to cobalt mined in the DRC.
Section 3’s investigation, strategy, and reporting requirements would end eight years after enactment, or sooner if the President submitted a determination to the designated committees that forced labor in the Congo’s mining industry had ended.
This section shall cease to have effect on the earlier of— (1) the date that is 8 years after the date of the enactment of this Act; or (2) the date on which the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees a determination that forced labor in the DRC mining industry has ended.
The bill defines artisanal and small-scale mining as mining with little or no machinery, including intensive use of hand tools. It adopts the meaning of forced labor from section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 rather than reproducing that definition.
The term artisanal and small-scale mining— (A) means mining with minimal to no mechanization; and (B) includes the use of intensive hand tools.
The term forced labor has the meaning given that term in section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).
The supplied September 28, 2026 source snapshot records introduction and referral to House Ways and Means on September 10, 2026. It records committee consideration on September 16 and an order to report the bill with substitute text by a 32–8 vote. This records committee action, not passage by the full House or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-28T15:28:32Z. 2026-09-16: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 32 - 8. 2026-09-16: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held 2026-09-10: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. 2026-09-10: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-10. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential benefit, carve-out, or special exemption was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 28, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI