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A newly introduced bipartisan House bill is seeking to mandate ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to sell off the app or face a US ban.

Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), leading figures on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, are spearheading this initiative amidst concerns over national security threats linked to ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok. The bill, named the “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” not only targets ByteDance and TikTok but also sets a precedent for addressing other applications controlled by foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

Under the proposed legislation, ByteDance would have a grace period exceeding five months from the law’s enactment to divest TikTok. Failure to comply would result in making the distribution of TikTok via app stores or web hosting platforms in the US illegal, effectively banning its use across the nation. This move has garnered bipartisan support, with an equal split among co-sponsors from both political parties, though the names of these sponsors have been withheld by committee aides.

This comes as the push against TikTok has seen varying levels of resistance and support over the years, with previous attempts to ban the app facing criticism over potential free speech violations and rushed legislative processes.