HR 1587 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2004

Introduced Apr 3, 2003 Originated House Sponsor Christopher H. Smith R-NJ

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Jul 23, 2004 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedApr 3, 2003
  2. Passed HouseJul 19, 2004
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2004 - Title I: Conditions on Increased Nonhumanitarian Assistance to the Government of Vietnam - (Sec. 101) Prohibits FY 2005 U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam in excess of FY 2004 levels unless the President certifies to Congress that the Government of Vietnam: (1) has made substantial progress toward releasing all political and religious prisoners from imprisonment and other forms of detention; (2) has made substantial progress toward respecting the right to freedom of religion, and has made substantial progress toward returning estates and properties confiscated from the churches; (3) has made substantial progress toward allowing Vietnamese nationals access to U.S. refugee programs; and (4) has made substantial progress toward respecting the human rights of members of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands and elsewhere in Vietnam.

Prohibits U.S. post-FY 2005 nonhumanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam in excess of FY 2004 levels unless the President certifies to Congress that the Government of Vietnam: (1) has made substantial progress toward releasing all political and religious prisoners from imprisonment and other forms of detention; (2) has made substantial progress toward respecting the right to freedom of religion, and has made substantial progress toward returning estates and properties confiscated from the churches; (3) has made substantial progress toward allowing Vietnamese nationals access to U.S. refugee programs; (4) has made substantial progress toward respecting the human rights of members of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands and elsewhere in Vietnam; and (5) neither any official of the Government of Vietnam nor any of its agencies was complicit in a severe form of trafficking in persons, or the Government of Vietnam took all appropriate steps to end any such complicity and hold any such official, agency, or entity fully accountable for its conduct.

Authorizes the President to waive such requirements if increased U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance would promote the purposes of this Act or is otherwise in the U.S. national interest.

Title II: Assistance to Support Human Rights and Democracy in Vietnam - (Sec. 201) Authorizes the President to provide U.S. assistance, through appropriate nongovernmental organizations, for the support of individuals and organizations to promote human rights and nonviolent democratic change in Vietnam. Authorizes FY 2005 and 2006 appropriations.

Title III: United States Public Diplomacy - (Sec. 301) Declares it is U.S. policy: (1) to take necessary measures to overcome the jamming of Radio Free Asia by the Government of Vietnam; and (2) that educational and cultural exchange programs with Vietnam should promote progress toward freedom and democracy.

Title IV: Annual Report on Progress Toward Freedom and Democracy in Vietnam - (Sec. 401) Directs the Secretary of State to report annually to Congress on: (1) whether requirements in the President's certification have been met, or on the President's waiver of such requirements; (2) U.S. efforts to secure transmission sites for Radio Free Asia in countries close to Vietnam; (3) efforts to ensure that educational and cultural exchange programs with Vietnam promote certain participation policies; (4) U.S. steps to offer refugee resettlement to certain Vietnamese nationals; (5) actions of the Government of Vietnam reflecting compliance with or violation of human rights; (6) lists of persons believed to be persecuted by the Government of Vietnam for their pursuit of human rights; and (7) the development of the rule of law in Vietnam.

Recorded votes 1

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll callQuestionResultDate
House 391Passed323–45Jul 19, 2004

Cosponsors 35

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 3, 2003 to Jul 6, 2004; 30 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-MDAlbert Russell WynnOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-COBob BeauprezOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-NCCass BallengerOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-TXChris BellOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-MDChris Van HollenOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-CAChristopher CoxOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-PACurt WeldonOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-CADana RohrabacherOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-KSDennis MooreOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-NJDonald M. PayneOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-NYEdolphus TownsOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-CAEdward R. RoyceOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-DCEleanor Holmes NortonOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-CAElton GalleglyOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-VAFrank R. WolfOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-TXGene GreenOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-FLGinny Brown-WaiteOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-FLIleana Ros-LehtinenOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-VAJames P. MoranOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-NYJoseph CrowleyOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-CALoretta SanchezOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-INMark E. SouderOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-WIMark GreenOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-NYMichael R. McNultyOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-INMike PenceOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-PAPhil EnglishOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-TXSam JohnsonOriginalApr 3, 2003
R-VATom DavisOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-MOWm. Lacy ClayOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-CAZoe LofgrenOriginalApr 3, 2003
D-NJRobert E. AndrewsApr 29, 2003
D-CAMichael M. HondaMay 1, 2003
R-ALRobert B. AderholtJun 10, 2003
R-MIThaddeus G. McCotterJun 23, 2004
D-CABob FilnerJul 6, 2004

Committees 3

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseForeign Affairs Committee
Referred Apr 3, 2003
HouseFinancial Services Committee
Referred Apr 3, 2003
Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subcommittee
Referred Apr 11, 2003
SenateForeign Relations Committee
Referred Jul 23, 2004

Actions 14

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jul 23, 2004Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  2. Jul 20, 2004Received in the Senate.
  3. Jul 19, 2004Considered as unfinished business. (CR H5947-5948)
  4. Jul 19, 2004Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 323 - 45 (Roll no. 391). (text: CR 7/14/2004 CR H5741-5743)
  5. Jul 19, 2004Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Show all 14 actions

In the Congressional Record 7

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E1443Sheila Jackson Lee D-TXJul 21, 2004
HouseRecorded votes H5947enact—Jul 19, 2004
HouseDebate and remarks H5741–H5752Text printed H5741–H5743Christopher H. Smith R-NJ, Dana Rohrabacher R-CA, Edward R. Royce R-CA, Frank R. Wolf R-VA, George Miller D-CA, Henry J. Hyde R-IL, Jim Kolbe R-AZ, Lane Evans D-IL, Loretta Sanchez D-CA, Mario Diaz-Balart R-FL, Rob Simmons R-CT, Sam Johnson R-TX, Tom Davis R-VA, Tom Lantos D-CA, Zoe Lofgren D-CAJul 14, 2004
HouseDebate and remarks H2764Christopher Cox R-CAMay 11, 2004
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E656Christopher H. Smith R-NJApr 27, 2004
Show all 7 days

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 2

  1. Jul 14, 2004H.R. 1587, Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2004<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on International Relations on June 24, 2004</p>
  2. Jul 14, 2004H.R. 1587, Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2004Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on International Relations on June 24, 2004

CRS reports 3

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 3

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

ProductTitleKindPublished
R40208U.S.-Vietnam Relations in 2014: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy ArchivedReportJun 24, 2014
RL33316U.S.-Vietnam Relations in 2008: Background and Issues for Congress ArchivedReportJan 2, 2009
RL32636U.S. Assistance to Vietnam ArchivedReportJun 17, 2005

Titles 4

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To promote freedom and democracy in Viet Nam.
Official Titles as Amended by House
To promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam.
Short Titles as Introduced
Viet Nam Human Rights Act of 2003
Short Titles as Passed House
Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2004

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.

Text 3

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jul 22, 2004Referred in Senate
  2. Jul 19, 2004Engrossed in House
  3. Apr 3, 2003Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.