S. 4797: Chinese-Backed Media Accountability Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-10-05 · Immigration · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-10-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Chinese-Backed Media Accountability Act

Plain summary

Chinese-Backed Media Accountability Act This bill places restrictions on nonimmigrant visas for journalists from China who work for a Chinese state-run media organization. The Department of State shall report to Congress on the number of Chinese nationals who (1) work as journalists for an organization identified as a Chinese state-run media organization (or whose work product is effectively controlled by China's government or the Chinese Communist Party); (2) were in the United States on the date this bill was enacted; and (3) were issued an H-1B, I-1, or L-1 visa in the past year. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may not approve a petition for one of these visas for such a Chinese journalist until the State Department submits this report, which shall be due within 30 days of this bill's enactment. The State Department shall update this report every two years and provide other related information. In addition, the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs must ensure that (1) the number of such visas issued to Chinese journalists does not exceed the number of U.S. journalists in China, and (2) such a visa is valid for no longer than 90 days. The bill identifies specific organizations, such as China Central Television and the People's Daily, as Chinese state-run media organizations, and directs the State Department to identify any other organizations that qualify as such.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Chinese-Backed Media Accountability Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] reported raising $1.8 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s4797.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s4797 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116