Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013
Latest action · Sep 9, 2013 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.
- IntroducedMay 8, 2013
- Passed HouseAug 1, 2013
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013 - Prohibits U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to the government of Vietnam in excess of FY2012 amounts unless 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, return of confiscated religious estates and property, 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. Allows the President to waive such authority with respect 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; (2) U.S.-Vietnam educational and cultural exchange programs should promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam; (3) the Secretary of State should oppose Vietnam's candidacy for membership on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC); (4) Vietnam should be designated as a country of particular concern for religious freedom; and (5) Vietnam does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance.
Directs the President to report annually to Congress regarding Vietnam's compliance with the provisions of this Act.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 435 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed405–3 | Aug 1, 2013 |
Cosponsors 16
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 8, 2013 to Jul 15, 2013; 4 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Alan S. Lowenthal | Original | May 8, 2013 |
| R-CA | Edward R. Royce | Original | May 8, 2013 |
| R-VA | Frank R. Wolf | Original | May 8, 2013 |
| D-CA | Zoe Lofgren | Original | May 8, 2013 |
| D-VA | Gerald E. Connolly | May 13, 2013 | |
| R-NC | Mark Meadows | May 14, 2013 | |
| R-TX | Ted Poe | May 22, 2013 | |
| D-CA | Brad Sherman | Jun 6, 2013 | |
| R-TX | Steve Stockman | Jun 10, 2013 | |
| R-WA | Cathy McMorris Rodgers | Jun 25, 2013 | |
| R-CA | Dana Rohrabacher | Jun 27, 2013 | |
| R-FL | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | Jun 27, 2013 | |
| D-RI | David N. Cicilline | Jun 28, 2013 | |
| D-CA | Loretta Sanchez | Jun 28, 2013 | |
| D-TX | Sheila Jackson Lee | Jun 28, 2013 |
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 May 8, 2013Markup Jun 27, 2013 |
| Africa Subcommittee | Referred May 8, 2013Markup May 15, 2013Reported May 15, 2013 | |
| East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee | Referred Jun 7, 2013 | |
| Senate | Foreign Relations Committee | Referred Sep 9, 2013 |
Actions 17
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 9, 2013Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Aug 1, 2013Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5295-5296)
- Aug 1, 2013Passed/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): 405 - 3 (Roll no. 435). (text: CR 7/31/2013 H5249-5251)
- Aug 1, 2013Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Jul 31, 2013Mr. Royce moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
In the Congressional Record 3
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 | Recorded votes H5295enact | — | Aug 1, 2013 |
| House | Debate and remarks H5249–H5254Text printed H5249–H5251 | Christopher H. Smith R-NJ, Edward R. Royce R-CA, Eliot L. Engel D-NY, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen R-FL, Zoe Lofgren D-CA | Jul 31, 2013 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E815 | Christopher H. Smith R-NJ | Jun 6, 2013 |
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
- Jul 11, 2013H.R. 1897, Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013As ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on June 27, 2013
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H2535.
Printed hearings 3
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
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 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1649 | Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013 | Related bill | Nov 5, 2013 |
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 2013
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Area studies and international education
- Asia
- Congressional oversight
- Cultural exchanges and relations
- Detention of persons
- Foreign aid and international relief
- Foreign language and bilingual programs
- Human rights
- Human trafficking
- International Affairs
- International exchange and broadcasting
- International law and treaties
- International organizations and cooperation
- News media and reporting
- Political movements and philosophies
- Property rights
- Protest and dissent
- Racial and ethnic relations
- Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
- Religion
- Rule of law and government transparency
- United Nations
- Vietnam
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 9, 2013Referred in Senate
- Aug 1, 2013Engrossed in House
- May 8, 2013Introduced 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.
