Two senior Republican lawmakers have put forth a bill to speed up sanctions against Chinese entities associated with Beijing’s military-industrial complex. Senator Rick Scott and Representative Elise Stefanik revealed the “CCP Sanctions Shot Clock Act,” which urges the US Treasury Department to take action within a year against Chinese individuals or entities flagged as security risks by the US government. The proposed legislation aims to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and set a one-year “shot clock” for adding identified entities to the Treasury Department’s Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List.
Under current regulations, the President must submit a report every two years identifying People’s Republic of China individuals on specified US government lists who might qualify for inclusion on the NS-CMIC list. However, there is currently no set timeline for the Treasury Department to update the sanctions list. The new bill seeks to change this by requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to add qualifying foreign persons to the list and publish an updated version in the Federal Register within one year of the President’s report submission.
Senator Scott emphasized the need for immediate action against entities identified as national security threats. He stated that individuals working for the CCP’s military interests should not be conducting business in the US. Scott stressed that Communist China is viewed as an adversary, and decisive actions are necessary. Representative Stefanik highlighted that the bill aligns with broader Republican initiatives to lessen American economic ties with Chinese firms linked to China’s military expansion. She emphasized that the legislation ensures the Treasury Department promptly addresses entities associated with Communist China’s negative influence and military buildup.
The bill would mandate assessments of individuals and companies already listed on various US government rosters, including the Department of Commerce’s Military End-User List, the Entity List, the Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List, and the State Department’s Uyghur Forced Labor Act Entity List.
