WASHINGTON — A U.S. senator has reintroduced a bill to expedite humanitarian assistance, including lifesaving medical care, to North Korea, as many people in the reclusive state are in need of food aid, nutritional support and access to health care and other basic services.

According to Congress' website, Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) submitted the bill on Wednesday, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) co-sponsoring it.

The bill's text has yet to be posted on Congress' website.

A previous bill submitted by Markey in 2021 called for enhancing U.S. sanctions exemptions to facilitate the provision of goods and other items that support humanitarian projects to meet basic human needs in North Korea.

It also called for streamlining humanitarian travel authorizations, as the U.S. has maintained a travel ban on its citizens to North Korea since 2017, citing the risks of being arrested and detained in the North.