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A bill to direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for other purposes.

Public Law 117-124 · S. 812 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on May 13, 2022 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

Cosponsors (3): Sen. Jim Inhofe,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 425 yea, 0 nay425–0
  • 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 Department of State to include additional information in its annual reports concerning Taiwan's participation at the World Health Organization's World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer. The report shall describe changes and improvements to the State Department's plan to support Taiwan's observer status at the WHA, following any meetings at which Taiwan did not participate under such status. (China has opposed Taiwan's participation in the WHA.)

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 425 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

425 yea0 nay4 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(219)

Republicans who voted yea(206)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 585 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. 1145Identical bill

    To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for other purposes.

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. 19 actions.

  1. May 13, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-124.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. May 3, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Apr 27, 2022FloorFloor · 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): 425 - 0 (Roll no. 138).House roll call 138
  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. 812.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Connolly moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Aug 10, 2021FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. Aug 9, 2021FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Aug 6, 2021FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  15. Jul 28, 2021CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 110.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Menendez without amendment. Without written report.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  18. Mar 17, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  19. 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

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.

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Official record

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