Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018
Public Law 115-330 · H.R. 1872 · 115th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 19, 2018 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-2)
Cosponsors (55): Rep. Randy Hultgren, Rep. Rosa DeLauro,
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.
This bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress annually regarding the level of access Chinese authorities granted U.S. diplomats, journalists, and tourists to Tibetan areas in China. Such assessment shall include:
• a comparison with the level of access granted to other areas of China,
• a comparison between the levels of access granted to Tibetan and non-Tibetan areas in relevant provinces,
• a comparison of the level of access in the reporting year and the previous year, and
• a description of the measures that impede the freedom to travel in Tibetan areas.
No individual who is substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan areas may enter the United States if:
• the requirement that foreigners must receive official permission to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region remains in effect, or has been replaced by a similar regulation that also requires foreigners to gain a level of permission to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region that is not required for other provinces; and
• travel restrictions on U.S. diplomats, officials, journalists, and citizens to Tibet Autonomous areas in Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Gansu Provinces are greater than travel restrictions to other areas.
The State Department shall report to Congress annually, identifying individuals who were blocked from U.S. entry during the preceding year and a list of Chinese officials who were substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies to restrict the access of U.S. diplomats, journalists, and citizens to Tibetan areas.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, 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
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 821Related bill
Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2017
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. 22 actions.
- Dec 19, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-330.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 13, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 12, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 11, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Nov 29, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 701.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Corker without amendment. Without written report.
- Nov 28, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Sep 26, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Sep 25, 2018FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · 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. 1872.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Rutherford moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 25, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 18, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
- May 2, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H3005-3006)
- May 1, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
- Apr 4, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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 concerned.
- 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.