A bill to extend certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices.
Public Law 105-22 · S. 342 · 105th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Jun 27, 1997 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY)
Cosponsors (2): Sen. Charles Robb, Sen. Chuck Hagel
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Authorizes extension of the International Organizations Immunities Act to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (Hong Kong's official economic and trade missions in the United States) in the same manner as such Act may be extended to a public international organization in which the United States participates pursuant to any treaty or Act of the Congress.
Authorizes the President to apply to such Offices certain provisions of the Agreement on State and Local Taxation of Foreign Employees of Public International Organizations.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Jun 27, 1997Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-22.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 19, 1997PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 17, 1997FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Bereuter moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jun 3, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
- May 21, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
- May 20, 1997FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- May 8, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Feb 24, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.