PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 1601, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11] · D–VA
Legislative record
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ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 1601, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jan 12, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-26 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 prohibit federal assistance to the central governments of countries that the Secretary of State determines have recognized certain Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine or supported Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory. The restriction concerns assistance to national governments, rather than expressly banning all assistance within those countries. The Secretary could waive the restriction in the United States’ national interest, with a justification to Congress.
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to any Federal department or agency may be used to provide assistance for the central government of a country that the Secretary of State determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees— (A) has recognized the independence of, or has established diplomatic relations with, any region located in the territory of Ukraine that is occupied by the Russian Federation or under the control of Russian-backed separatists, including Crimea and Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts; or (B) has taken affirmative steps intended to support or be supportive of the Russian Federation annexation of Crimea or other territory in Ukraine.
The Secretary of State may waive the prohibition on assistance required by paragraph (1) with respect to any such central government if the Secretary determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that to do so is in the national interest of the United States, and includes a justification for such interest.
The bill would declare a U.S. policy against recognizing Russian sovereignty over, or the independence of, any Russian-occupied part of Ukraine. It expressly includes Crimea and the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
It is the policy of the United States not to recognize the Russian Federation’s claim of sovereignty over, or independence, of any part of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, including Crimea and Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
The proposed assistance ban would apply across federal departments and agencies after the Secretary of State determines and reports that a country meets either condition: it recognizes the independence of, or establishes diplomatic relations with, a Ukrainian region occupied by Russia or controlled by Russian-backed separatists; or it takes affirmative steps intended to support Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory.
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to any Federal department or agency may be used to provide assistance for the central government of a country that the Secretary of State determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees— (A) has recognized the independence of, or has established diplomatic relations with, any region located in the territory of Ukraine that is occupied by the Russian Federation or under the control of Russian-backed separatists, including Crimea and Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts; or (B) has taken affirmative steps intended to support or be supportive of the Russian Federation annexation of Crimea or other territory in Ukraine.
The Secretary of State would have to publish a list of the affected central governments on the State Department’s website in a timely manner. This provision specifies no number of days for publication.
The Secretary of State shall publish on the Department of State website a list of such central governments in a timely manner.
The Secretary of State could waive the assistance ban for an affected central government. A waiver would require a determination and report to the designated congressional committees that it serves the U.S. national interest, including a justification.
The Secretary of State may waive the prohibition on assistance required by paragraph (1) with respect to any such central government if the Secretary determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that to do so is in the national interest of the United States, and includes a justification for such interest.
Reports about the assistance restriction and any national-interest waiver would go to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
the Secretary of State determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees
if the Secretary determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that to do so is in the national interest of the United States
The supplied action snapshot, updated January 12, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on February 26, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2026-01-12T16:26:13Z.
2025-02-26: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. 2025-02-26: Introduced in House
The supplied January 12, 2026 snapshot also records that, on January 8, 2026, the House agreed without objection to let Mr. Walkinshaw be considered the first sponsor for adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings. The entry identifies Representative Connolly as the original sponsor.
Source snapshot updated 2026-01-12T16:26:13Z.
2026-01-08: ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 1601, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-26. 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 provision unrelated to the bill’s main subject or policy rider 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; the source set does not establish formal earmark status in accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential benefit or special exemption warranting a finding 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: Jan 12, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI