Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012
Public Law 112-172 · H.R. 4240 · 112th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Aug 16, 2012 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18)
Cosponsors (28): Rep. Howard Berman, Rep. Chris Smith,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) continue to seek cooperation from foreign governments to allow the United States to process North Korean refugees overseas for U.S. resettlement, (2) urge China to halt its forcible repatriation of North Koreans, and (3) allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to North Koreans inside China to determine whether such North Koreans are refugees requiring protection.
Amends the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 to authorize appropriations through FY2017: (1) for grants that promote democracy, human rights, and a market economy in North Korea, (2) to increase the availability of non-government controlled information inside North Korea, and (3) for organizations or persons that provide humanitarian assistance to North Koreans who are outside of North Korea.
Extends through 2017 the annual congressional reporting requirement for: (1) the Secretary of State to report on activities to increase the availability of non-government controlled information inside North Korea, (2) the Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues to report on human rights related activities, (3) the Secretary and Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to report on U.S. humanitarian assistance inside North Korea and to North Koreans outside of North Korea, and (4) the Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to report on the number of North Koreans seeking refugee status or political asylum in the United States.
Directs the Broadcasting Board of Governors to report to Congress regarding U.S. broadcasting to North Korea and the extent to which the Board has achieved the goal of 12-hour-per-day broadcasting to North Korea.
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
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S.Con.Res. 58Related bill
A concurrent resolution directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 4240.
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. 18 actions.
- Aug 16, 2012Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 112-172.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 7, 2012FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Aug 3, 2012FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Aug 2, 2012FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jul 18, 2012CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 458.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Kerry without amendment. Without written report.
- Jun 19, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- May 16, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- May 15, 2012FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4240.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 28, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Mar 22, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
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.