Dharamshala, India, August 13 — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday introduced the Assuring the Future of Tibet Act of 2026 (AFTA), a bipartisan measure aimed at strengthening Washington’s long-term engagement with the Tibetan people and enhancing the international standing of their democratically elected leadership, according to a report by Phayul.
The legislation was introduced by Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho. Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Todd Young, R-Ind., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., joined as original co-sponsors. According to the Phayul report, the Senate bill is companion legislation to H.R. 8982, which was introduced in the House of Representatives in May by Reps. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a long-term framework for U.S. policy toward Tibet by making engagement with the Tibetan people and their democratically elected leadership a continuing policy priority. The bill places particular emphasis on the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) as an institution representing the Tibetan people and on preserving its role in determining the future of Tibet.
According to Phayul, AFTA would establish as U.S. policy direct engagement with the Tibetan people through their democratically elected leaders, as well as through their religious and cultural representatives. The legislation would also reaffirm U.S. support for the Tibetan people’s fundamental and universal human rights under international law, including their right to self-determination.
The bill further identifies the resolution of the dispute between Tibet and China as a matter of strategic interest to the United States. This would elevate the issue beyond being viewed solely through the framework of human rights, according to the report.
A major provision of the proposed legislation would recognize the Central Tibetan Administration as representing continuity in the governance of the Tibetan people. Phayul reported that the bill stresses the need for U.S. policy on Tibet to remain sustainable beyond the tenure of the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetans in exile.
The legislation places greater emphasis on the democratic institutions established among Tibetans in exile and their elected leadership as an important part of the future structure of U.S.-Tibet relations. It would also direct the U.S. government to support the CTA’s bid for observer status within the United Nations system and other relevant international organizations and groupings, according to Phayul.
The proposed legislation also outlines a more institutionalized approach to Washington’s engagement with the CTA. Under the bill, the U.S. government would be directed to provide appropriate senior-level engagement and diplomatic courtesies to CTA officials. These could potentially include diplomatic security, privileges and immunities.
According to the Phayul report, the bill seeks not only to continue U.S. support for Tibet but also to provide that support with a stronger institutional foundation. By deepening Washington’s relationship with the CTA and encouraging its participation in international forums, the legislation could increase the exile Tibetan administration’s diplomatic visibility and reinforce its position as a representative institution of the Tibetan people.
The Senate introduction gives the measure bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. The legislation builds on a series of U.S. laws adopted over the past decade concerning Tibet, including the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, the Tibetan Policy and Support Act and the Resolve Tibet Act, Phayul reported.
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