Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011
Public Law 112-82 · H.R. 515 · 112th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jan 3, 2012 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-4)
Cosponsors (12): Rep. Frank Wolf, Rep. Dan Burton,
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.
Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011 - Amends the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 to express the sense of Congress that the President should continue to support radio, television, and Internet broadcasting to the people of Belarus in languages spoken in Belarus by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Voice of America, European Radio for Belarus, and Belsat.
Includes among the criteria that the government of Belarus must meet in order to end U.S. sanctions: (1) release of individuals who were jailed based on political beliefs or expression in connection with the repression that attended the December 2010 presidential election; (2) prosecution of senior leadership of the government of Belarus responsible for violations of human rights violations, including human rights violations in connection with the presidential election; (3) withdrawal of politically motivated legal charges against opposition activists and independent journalists in connection with the presidential election; and (4) holding free and transparent presidential and parliamentary elections consistent with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) standards and under OSCE supervision.
Authorizes the denial of U.S. entry to members of the security or law enforcement services who have participated in the crackdown on opposition leaders, journalists, and peaceful protesters or in the persecution of religious groups or human rights defenders.
Requires that the President's annual Belarus report to Congress include information about government of Belarus cooperation with any foreign government or organization related to Internet censorship or surveillance or the purchase or receipt of any technology or training for such purposes.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Financial Services Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy Subcommittee- Foreign Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred toSubcommittee: Europe Subcommittee; Africa Subcommittee
- Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement 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.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
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. 31 actions.
- Jan 3, 2012Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 112-82.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 23, 2011FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 20, 2011Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
- Dec 19, 2011Resolving differencesResolving differences · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen 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.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on agreeing to the Senate amendments to H.R. 515.
- Dec 15, 2011FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 14, 2011FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 7, 2011CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Jul 6, 2011FloorFloor · 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. 515.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Apr 14, 2011CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Apr 13, 2011CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Africa Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
- Mar 23, 2011CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade.
- Mar 1, 2011CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia.
- Feb 14, 2011CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
- Jan 26, 2011CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee…
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
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 1462SenateSen. John KerryD-MA· offered Dec 14, 2011Agreed to
To make minor edits to the bill.
Dec 14, 2011: Amendment SA 1462 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
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.