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Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019

Public Law 116-76 · S. 1838 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Nov 27, 2019 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Cosponsors (56): Sen. Benjamin Cardin,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 417 yea, 1 nay417–1
  • 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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019

This bill directs various departments to assess whether political developments in Hong Kong justify changing Hong Kong's unique treatment under U.S. law. (Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system.)

The Department of State shall report and certify annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment. The report shall address issues including (1) demands for universal suffrage; (2) law enforcement cooperation, including extradition requests; (3) sanctions enforcement and export controls; (4) decision-making within the Hong Kong government; (5) judicial independence; (6) civil liberties in Hong Kong, including freedom of assembly and freedom of the press; and (7) how any erosion to Hong Kong's autonomy impacts areas of U.S.-Hong Kong cooperation.

The Department of Commerce shall report annually to Congress on China's efforts to use Hong Kong to evade U.S. export controls and sanctions and the extent of such violations occurring in Hong Kong generally. The report shall also (1) identify any items that were improperly reexported from Hong Kong, (2) assess whether dual-use items subject to U.S. export laws are being transshipped through Hong Kong, and (3) assess whether such dual-use items are being used to develop various mass-surveillance and predictive-policing tools or the social-credit system proposed for deployment in China.

If the President determines that Hong Kong has proposed or enacted legislation that puts U.S. citizens at risk of extradition to mainland China or to another country that lacks defendants' rights protections, the President shall report to Congress on (1) a strategy for protecting U.S. citizens and businesses in Hong Kong, and (2) whether Hong Kong is legally competent to administer various law-enforcement agreements between Hong Kong and the United States.

The State Department may not deny work- or student-visa applications from an otherwise qualified Hong Kong resident due to a politically motivated adverse action by the Hong Kong government against the applicant. The State Department shall encourage other democratic countries to take a similar approach.

The President shall report to Congress a list of individuals responsible for committing acts that violate internationally recognized human rights in Hong Kong, including the extrajudicial rendition or torture of any person in Hong Kong. The bill bars such individuals from entering the United States and imposes sanctions on them.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 116th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 417 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

417 yea1 nay13 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(223)

Republicans who voted yea(194)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 634 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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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.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3289Identical billRelated bill

    Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Nov 27, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-76.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 21, 2019FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 20, 2019FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 417 - 1 (Roll no. 635).House roll call 635
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1838.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Engel moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Nov 19, 2019FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  15. FloorFloor · The committee amendment withdrawn by Unanimous Consent. (CR S6657)
  16. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  17. Sep 26, 2019CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 238.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  19. Sep 25, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  20. Jun 13, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  21. 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.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 1246SenateSen. Marco RubioR-FL· offered Nov 19, 2019Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Nov 19, 2019: Amendment SA 1246 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.