Hong Kong Autonomy Act
Public Law 116-149 · H.R. 7440 · 116th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jul 14, 2020 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA-30)
Cosponsors (11): Rep. Ted Yoho, Rep. Carolyn Maloney,
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.
Hong Kong Autonomy Act
This bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that materially contribute to China's failure to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy.
Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system with protections for civil rights such as freedom of speech. This arrangement is enshrined in (1) the Joint Declaration, a 1984 treaty pertaining to the United Kingdom's transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China; and (2) the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitutional document.
The Department of State shall report annually to Congress information about (1) foreign individuals and entities that materially contributed to China's failure to comply with the Joint Declaration or the Basic Law; and (2) foreign financial institutions that knowingly conducted a significant transaction with such identified individuals and entities. An individual, entity, or financial institution may be excluded from this report for various reasons, such as to protect an intelligence source.
The President shall impose property-blocking sanctions on an individual or entity named in a report, and visa-blocking sanctions on a named individual. The President shall impose various sanctions on a financial institution named in a report, such as prohibiting the institution from receiving loans from a U.S. financial institution.
The President may waive or terminate the imposition of sanctions under this bill. Congress may override such a waiver or termination by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
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
3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 7083Related bill
Hong Kong Autonomy Act
S. 3798Related bill
Hong Kong Autonomy Act
S. 4049Related bill
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
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.
- Jul 14, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-149.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
- Jul 2, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 1, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Sherman asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Rules discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Ways and Means discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Financial Services discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, Ways and Means, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisd…
- 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
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
H.Amdt. 831HouseRep. Brad ShermanD-CA-30· offered Jul 1, 2020Agreed to
An amendment to on page 35, line 16, strike "calendar" and insert "legislative".
Jul 1, 2020: On agreeing to the Sherman amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.
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.