An Act to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to require the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress concerning diplomatic immunity.
Public Law 105-375 · S. 759 · 105th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 12, 1998 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. Paul Coverdell (R-GA)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (Foreign Missions Act) to direct the Secretary of State to report annually to the Congress on: (1) the number of persons and aliens residing in the United States who are entitled to diplomatic immunity from criminal prosecution, including each case involving such an alien whom appropriate law enforcement authorities reasonably believe to have committed a serious crime within the United States, and any additional information relating to other prior serious criminal offenses; (2) the number of U.S. citizens residing in a receiving state who are entitled to diplomatic immunity from criminal prosecution there, including each case in which the United States has been requested by the government of the state to waive immunity; and (3) whether the Secretary has notified each U.S. foreign mission of U.S. policies relating to criminal offenses committed by individuals with diplomatic immunity.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary should explore, in appropriate fora, whether states should enter into agreements and adopt legislation to provide: (1) jurisdiction in the sending state to prosecute crimes committed in the receiving state by persons entitled to diplomatic immunity; and (2) that where there is probable cause to believe that an individual with such immunity committed a serious crime, the sending state will waive immunity or will prosecute the individual.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Foreign Affairs Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee
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. 14 actions.
- Nov 12, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-375.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 3, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 14, 1998FloorFloor · 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 · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Hamilton objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Gilman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Nov 20, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
- Nov 9, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
- Nov 8, 1997FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 4, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- May 16, 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.