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A bill to prohibit the commercial export of covered munitions items to the Hong Kong Police Force.

Public Law 116-77 · S. 2710 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate

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

Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

Cosponsors (17): Sen. John Cornyn,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 417 yea, 0 nay417–0
  • 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.

This bill directs the President to prohibit the issuance of licenses to export specified munitions items to the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force. The specified items include tear gas, rubber bullets, and handcuffs. The President may make an exception upon certifying to Congress as to how such exports are important to U.S. national interests and foreign policy goals. This prohibition shall expire one year after the bill's enactment.

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 yea0 nay14 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 635 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

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Nov 27, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-77.
  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 - 0 (Roll no. 636).House roll call 636
  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. 2710.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Sherman 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 amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  15. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  17. Oct 24, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  18. 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

2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 1248SenateSen. Jeff MerkleyD-OR· offered Nov 19, 2019Agreed to

    To provide a one-year sunset.

    Nov 19, 2019: Amendment SA 1248 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to

  • S.Amdt. 1247SenateSen. Jeff MerkleyD-OR· offered Nov 19, 2019Agreed to

    To include the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate as part of the notification requirement.

    Nov 19, 2019: Amendment SA 1247 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.