United States 116th Congress Status: Passed House Bipartisan · 25 D · 23 R cosponsors

HR 3289 — Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019

Last action — Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 243.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 116th Congress. It reached “Passed House” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 This bill addresses Hong Kong's status under U.S. law and imposes sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong. (Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system.) The Department of State shall certify annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong warrants its unique treatment under various treaties, agreements, and U.S. law. The analysis shall evaluate whether Hong Kong is upholding the rule of law and protecting rights enumerated in various documents, including (1) the agreement between the United Kingdom and China regarding Hong Kong's return to China, and (2) the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bill extends existing annual reporting requirements on matters of U.S. interest in Hong Kong through 2027 and expands such reports to include assessments of (1) limits to Hong Kong's autonomy, either self-imposed or due to China's actions; and (2) whether rescission of Hong Kong's special treatment would further erode Hong Kong's autonomy. The President shall annually report to Congress on Hong Kong's enforcement of U.S. export controls, including whether items of U.S. origin have been used for mass surveillance in China and whether Hong Kong has been used to evade sanctions on North Korea or Iran. The State Department shall notify Congress if any proposed or enacted law in Hong Kong negatively impacts U.S. interests, including by putting U.S. citizens at risk of rendition to China. The President shall impose property and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for gross human rights violations in Hong Kong.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

9 added · 1 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated text indicates that H.R. 3289 has been placed on the Senate calendar after being received and read twice. Additionally, a line referring to the bill being engrossed in the House has been removed. This change matters because it reflects the bill's progress in the legislative process, specifically its movement from the House to the Senate for consideration.

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3289 Engrossed in House (EH)] <DOC> 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H.
3289 Placed on Calendar Senate (PCS)] <DOC> Calendar No.
243 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H.
3289 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To amend the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 and for other purposes.
3289 _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 16, 2019 Received;
read twice and placed on the calendar _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To amend the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 and for other purposes.
Clerk.
CHERYL L.
116th CONGRESS 1st Session H.
JOHNSON, Clerk.
Calendar No.
243 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H.
_______________________________________________________________________ October 16, 2019 Received;
read twice and placed on the calendar
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How this bill changes current law

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Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill amends the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 to include additional reporting, certification, and visa treatment provisions regarding Hong Kong's autonomy and human rights.

  • 22 U.S.C. 5721

    SEC. 205. SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATION REGARDING THE AUTONOMY OF HONG KONG. (a) Certification.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall annually submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a certification, in conjunction with, and taking into consideration the contents of, the report required in section 301, regarding whether Hong Kong continues to warrant treatment under particular treaties, international agreements, and United States laws, or any provisions thereof, specified in paragraph (2) in the same manner as such treaties, international agreements, and laws were applied to Hong Kong as of the date of enactment of this section.

    This establishes a new requirement for the Secretary of State to certify Hong Kong's autonomy annually.

  • 22 U.S.C. 5721

    SEC. 206. TREATMENT OF HONG KONG APPLICANTS FOR VISAS TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES. It is the sense of Congress that applications for visas to enter the United States, including for work or study, which are submitted by otherwise qualified applicants from Hong Kong should not be denied solely on the basis of politically-motivated arrest, detention, or other adverse government action taken against such applicants as a result of the participation by such applicants in protest activities.

    This stipulates that visa applications from Hong Kong should not be denied based on politically-motivated actions against the applicants.

  • 22 U.S.C. 5731

    2024 → 2027

    Extends the reporting requirement deadline from 2024 to 2027.

  • 22 U.S.C. 5731

    (9) China's ability to limit Hong Kong's autonomy with respect to the treaties, international agreements, and United States laws specified in section 205(a)(2) as result of actions by the Government of the People's Republic of China that are inconsistent with its commitments under the Basic Law or the Joint Declaration;

    Adds a requirement to report on China's ability to limit Hong Kong's autonomy.

  • 22 U.S.C. 5731

    (10) the limitations to Hong Kong's autonomy with respect to the treaties, international agreements, and United States laws specified in section 205(a)(2) resulting from actions by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region that are inconsistent with its commitments under the Basic Law or the Joint Declaration;

    Requires reporting on limitations to Hong Kong's autonomy from the Hong Kong government.

Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, 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.

  4. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, 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.

  5. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, 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.

  6. Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

  7. Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent.

  8. Mr. Sherman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

  9. Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8119-8124)

  10. DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3289.

  11. Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H8119-8122)

  12. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H8119-8122)

  13. Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  14. Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 243.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 47 co-sponsors · 499 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (47)

Not signed on (499)

499 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 499 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HR 3289 do?
Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 This bill addresses Hong Kong's status under U.S. law and imposes sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong. (Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system.) The Department of State shall certify annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong warrants its unique treatment under various treaties, agreements, and U.S. law. The analysis shall evaluate whether Hong Kong is upholding the rule of law and protecting rights enumerated in various documents, including (1) the agreement between the United Kingdom and China regarding Hong Kong's return to China, and (2) the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bill extends existing annual reporting requirements on matters of U.S. interest in Hong Kong through 2027 and expands such reports to include assessments of (1) limits to Hong Kong's autonomy, either self-imposed or due to China's actions; and (2) whether rescission of Hong Kong's special treatment would further erode Hong Kong's autonomy. The President shall annually report to Congress on Hong Kong's enforcement of U.S. export controls, including whether items of U.S. origin have been used for mass surveillance in China and whether Hong Kong has been used to evade sanctions on North Korea or Iran. The State Department shall notify Congress if any proposed or enacted law in Hong Kong negatively impacts U.S. interests, including by putting U.S. citizens at risk of rendition to China. The President shall impose property and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for gross human rights violations in Hong Kong.
Who sponsors HR 3289?
HR 3289 is sponsored by McGovern, James P. (Democratic), Perry, Scott (Republican), Suozzi, Thomas R. (Democratic), Fitzpatrick, Brian K. (Republican), Sherman, Brad (Democratic), Yoho, Ted S. (Republican), Bacon, Don (Republican), Hurd, Will (Republican), Van Drew, Jefferson (Republican), Mullin, Markwayne (Republican), Case, Ed (Democratic), Meadows, Mark (Republican), Pressley, Ayanna (Democratic), Norton, Eleanor Holmes (Democratic), Curtis, John R. (Republican), Khanna, Ro (Democratic), DeSaulnier, Mark (Democratic), Rouda, Harley (Democratic), Olson, Pete (Republican), Clarke, Yvette D. (Democratic), Doggett, Lloyd (Democratic), Hill, J. French (Republican), Watson Coleman, Bonnie (Democratic), Welch, Peter (Democratic), King, Peter T. (Republican), Pocan, Mark (Democratic), Diaz-Balart, Mario (Republican), Wright, Ron (Republican), McClintock, Tom (Republican), Weber, Randy K. Sr. (Republican), Flores, Bill (Republican), Hartzler, Vicky (Republican), McAdams, Ben (Democratic), Houlahan, Chrissy (Democratic), Kennedy, Joseph P., III (Democratic), Lofgren, Zoe (Democratic), Wilson, Joe (Republican), Marchant, Kenny (Republican), Engel, Eliot L. (Democratic), Phillips, Dean (Democratic), Eshoo, Anna G. (Democratic), Pappas, Chris (Democratic), Costa, Jim (Democratic), Posey, Bill (Republican), Kinzinger, Adam (Republican), Maloney, Carolyn B. (Democratic), Blumenauer, Earl (Democratic), and Smith, Christopher H. (Republican).
What is the current status of HR 3289?
This bill died with 116th Congress. It reached “Passed House” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HR 3289?
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