Next year’s U.S. defense policy bill calls for the reunification of Korean American families with their relatives in North Korea.

The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, released by Congress, directs the secretary of state to compile a registry of Korean Americans who lost contact with family members after the Korean War Armistice Agreement.

The bill also requires Washington to consult with Seoul on the registry and to raise the issue of reunions if direct communication with Pyongyang resumes.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be required to appoint a special envoy for North Korean human rights, a post that has been vacant since U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term. The envoy would oversee the registry, track reunion data and report on North Korea’s response to U.S. requests.

An estimated 100-thousand Korean Americans in the U.S. remain separated from relatives in North Korea.