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Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 1999

Public Law 106-87 · H.R. 2367 · 106th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 3, 1999 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-4)

Cosponsors (5): Rep. Tom Lantos,

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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 1999 - Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 through 2003 to: (1) the President to provide assistance in the form of grants to treatment centers and programs in foreign countries that are carrying out projects or activities specifically designed to treat victims of torture for the physical and psychological effects of such torture; (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to programs in the United States to cover the costs of services provided by domestic treatment centers in the rehabilitation of victims of torture (including treatment of the physical and psychological effects of torture); and (3) the President for the U.S. contribution to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the President, through the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, should: (1) request the Fund to find new ways to support, and to encourage the development of new, treatment centers and programs that are carrying out rehabilitative services for victims of torture; (2) use the vote of the United States to support the work of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and the Committee Against Torture established under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and (3) use the U.S. vote to establish a country rapporteur or similar mechanism to investigate human rights violations in a country if either the Special Rapporteur or the Committee Against Torture indicates that a systematic practice of torture is prevalent there.

Directs the Secretary of State to report to specified congressional committees on certain required specialized training with regard to victims of torture for Foreign Service officers.

Makes technical amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.

  1. Nov 3, 1999Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 106-87.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 26, 1999PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 21, 1999FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  6. Sep 21, 1999FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  8. FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (NJ) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  9. Sep 9, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Foreign Affairs Committee
  10. Sep 1, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
  11. Jul 13, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  12. Jun 29, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
  14. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.