A bill concerning participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization.
Public Law 108-28 · S. 243 · 108th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on May 29, 2003 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. George Allen (R-VA)
Cosponsors (10): Sen. Tim Johnson, Sen. Lincoln Chafee,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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 the Secretary of State to: (1) initiate a U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit of the World Health Assembly (of the World Health Organization) in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland; and (2) instruct the U.S. delegation to Geneva to implement such plan.
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.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 441Related bill
To amend Public Law 107-10 to authorize a United States plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3793Related bill
Concerning participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- May 29, 2003Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-28.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 21, 2003FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- May 14, 2003FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Rohrabacher asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on International Relations discharged.
- May 5, 2003FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
- May 1, 2003FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Apr 9, 2003CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 61.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Lugar without amendment. Without written report.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jan 29, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.