H.R. 4140 would authorize appropriations for Department of State programs to assist Rohingya communities in Burma and in surrounding countries. The bill also would authorize the Secretary of State to designate an official to serve in the position of Special Representative for Burma and to coordinate federal policies and programs that support the Rohingya people. Lastly, it would require the department to report to the Congress on its implementation of the bill and on related matters.

In total, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4140 would cost $27 million over the 2025-2030 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 4140 will be enacted near the start of fiscal year 2026 and that the specified and estimated amounts will be appropriated starting in 2026. The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 150 (international affairs).

The bill would authorize the appropriation of $45 million over the 2026-2030 period, $9 million each year, to investigate, document, and preserve evidence of genocide and crimes against humanity in Burma. CBO estimates that implementing that provision would cost $26 million over the 2025-2030 period.

CBO estimates that designating an existing official of the department to serve as a Special Representative and to coordinate federal policies and programs that support the Rohingya people would cost less than $500,000 annually and total $1 million over the 2025-2030 period.

On the basis of information about spending for similar reports, CBO estimates that satisfying the bill’s reporting requirements would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sunita D’Monte. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.