Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2012
Latest action · Sep 12, 2012 Received in the Senate and 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.
- IntroducedApr 7, 2011
- Passed HouseSep 11, 2012
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2012 - Prohibits U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to the government of Vietnam in excess of FY2011 amounts unless: (1) the federal government provides assistance, in addition to democracy building assistance under this Act, supporting human rights training, civil society building, and exchange programs between the Vietnamese National Assembly and Congress at levels commensurate with or exceeding any increases in nonhumanitarian assistance to Vietnam; and (2) the President certifies to Congress that the government of Vietnam has made substantial progress respecting political, media, and religious freedoms, minority rights, access to U.S. refugee programs, and actions to end trafficking in persons and the release of political prisoners.
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. Limits waiver authority to: (1) all U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to Vietnam; or (2) one or more programs, projects, or activities of such assistance.
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should take measures to overcome the jamming of Radio Free Asia by Vietnam and that the Broadcasting Board of Governors should not cut staffing, funding, or broadcast hours for the Vietnamese language services of the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia; and (2) U.S.-Vietnam educational and cultural exchange programs should promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam by providing opportunities to Vietnamese nationals from a wide range of occupations and perspectives to see freedom and democracy in action and, also, by ensuring that Vietnamese nationals who have demonstrated a commitment to these values are included in such programs.
Sets forth reporting requirements.
Cosponsors 15
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 7, 2011 to Jul 11, 2012; 4 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-CA | Edward R. Royce | Original | Apr 7, 2011 |
| R-VA | Frank R. Wolf | Original | Apr 7, 2011 |
| D-CA | Loretta Sanchez | Original | Apr 7, 2011 |
| D-CA | Zoe Lofgren | Original | Apr 7, 2011 |
| D-CA | Fortney Pete Stark | Oct 25, 2011 | |
| R-NC | Howard Coble | Nov 25, 2011 | |
| D-CA | Judy Chu | Nov 25, 2011 | |
| D-CA | Brad Sherman | Mar 7, 2012 | |
| R-IN | Dan Burton | Mar 7, 2012 | |
| D-VA | Gerald E. Connolly | Mar 7, 2012 | |
| D-TX | Gene Green | Mar 21, 2012 | |
| R-CO | Mike Coffman | Apr 16, 2012 | |
| D-VA | James P. Moran | May 15, 2012 | |
| R-TX | Joe Barton | May 16, 2012 | |
| R-TX | Pete Olson | Jul 11, 2012 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred Apr 7, 2011Markup Mar 7, 2012 |
| East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee | Referred May 13, 2011 | |
| Africa Subcommittee | Referred May 13, 2011 | |
| Senate | Foreign Relations Committee | Referred Sep 12, 2012 |
Actions 12
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 12, 2012Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Sep 11, 2012Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Sep 11, 2012Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5835-5842)
- Sep 11, 2012DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1410.
- Sep 11, 2012Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5835-5837)
In the Congressional Record 2
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.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House · Extensions | Debate and remarks E1482, H5835–H5842Text printed H5835–H5837 | Christopher H. Smith R-NJ, Edward R. Royce R-CA, Eni F. H. Faleomavaega D-AS, Howard L. Berman D-CA, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen R-FL, James P. Moran D-VA, Susan A. Davis D-CA, Zoe Lofgren D-CA | Sep 11, 2012 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E72 | Christopher H. Smith R-NJ | Jan 25, 2012 |
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 estimate
- Mar 20, 2012H.R. 1410, Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2012As ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 7, 2012
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H2534.
Printed hearings 3
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 112-156 | SYRIA FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT; HOLOCAUST INSURANCE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2011; EXPORT PROMOTION REFORM ACT; COUNTERING IRAN IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE ACT OF 2012; EXPORT PROMOTION REFORM ACT; AND EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT TAIWAN SHOULD BE ACCORDED OBSERVER STATUS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION (ICAO)347 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Mar 7, 2012 |
| Serial No. 112-124 | TO PROMOTE FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN VIETNAM; AND CONCERNING EFFORTS TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN RELIEF TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF DROUGHT AND AVERT FAMINE IN THE HORN OF AFRICA, PARTICULARLY SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA, DJIBOUTI, AND KENYA65 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Feb 8, 2012 |
| Serial No. 112-125 | EXAMINING ONGOING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN VIETNAM122 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Jan 24, 2012 |
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R40208 | U.S.-Vietnam Relations in 2014: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy Archived | Report | Jun 24, 2014 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2011
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2012
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Asia
- Congressional oversight
- Cultural exchanges and relations
- Detention of persons
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Foreign aid and international relief
- Human rights
- Human trafficking
- Immigration status and procedures
- International Affairs
- International exchange and broadcasting
- Military assistance, sales, and agreements
- News media and reporting
- Political movements and philosophies
- Political representation
- Property rights
- Protest and dissent
- Racial and ethnic relations
- Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
- Religion
- Sanctions
- Vietnam
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 12, 2012Referred in Senate
- Sep 11, 2012Engrossed in House
- Apr 7, 2011Introduced in House
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.
