Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018
Latest action · Dec 19, 2018 Became Public Law No: 115-330.
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 4, 2017
- Passed HouseSep 25, 2018
- Passed SenateDec 11, 2018
- To the PresidentDec 13, 2018
- Became lawDec 19, 2018Public Law 115-330
Summary
Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018
This bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress annually regarding the level of access Chinese authorities granted U.S. diplomats, journalists, and tourists to Tibetan areas in China. Such assessment shall include:
- a comparison with the level of access granted to other areas of China,
- a comparison between the levels of access granted to Tibetan and non-Tibetan areas in relevant provinces,
- a comparison of the level of access in the reporting year and the previous year, and
- a description of the measures that impede the freedom to travel in Tibetan areas.
No individual who is substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan areas may enter the United States if:
- the requirement that foreigners must receive official permission to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region remains in effect, or has been replaced by a similar regulation that also requires foreigners to gain a level of permission to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region that is not required for other provinces; and
- travel restrictions on U.S. diplomats, officials, journalists, and citizens to Tibet Autonomous areas in Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Gansu Provinces are greater than travel restrictions to other areas.
The State Department shall report to Congress annually, identifying individuals who were blocked from U.S. entry during the preceding year and a list of Chinese officials who were substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies to restrict the access of U.S. diplomats, journalists, and citizens to Tibetan areas.
Cosponsors 55
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 4, 2017 to Jul 24, 2018; 17 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Betty McCollum | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| R-UT | Chris Stewart | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| R-CA | Dana Rohrabacher | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-VA | Gerald E. Connolly | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-CO | Jared Polis | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-NY | Jose E. Serrano | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-MA | Joseph P. Kennedy III | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-MA | Katherine M. Clark | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-MN | Keith Ellison | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-WI | Mark Pocan | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-MA | Michael E. Capuano | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-OR | Peter A. DeFazio | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-VT | Peter Welch | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| R-IL | Randy Hultgren | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
| D-MA | Richard E. Neal | Original | Apr 4, 2017 |
Committees 3
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Apr 4, 2017Markup Jul 25, 2018 |
| Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred May 1, 2017 | |
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred Apr 4, 2017 |
| East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee | Referred May 18, 2017 | |
| Senate | Foreign Relations Committee | Referred Sep 26, 2018Markup Nov 28, 2018Reported Nov 29, 2018 |
Actions 22
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 19, 2018Signed by President.
- Dec 19, 2018Became Public Law No: 115-330.
- Dec 13, 2018Presented to President.
- Dec 12, 2018Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 11, 2018Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S7453)
In the Congressional Record 4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S7427, S7453 | David Perdue R-GA, Patrick J. Leahy D-VT | Dec 11, 2018 |
| House | Debate and remarks H8849–H8853Text printed H8849 | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen R-FL, James P. McGovern D-MA, John H. Rutherford R-FL, Nancy Pelosi D-CA, Pramila Jayapal D-WA, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX | Sep 25, 2018 |
| House | Debate and remarks H689 | James P. McGovern D-MA | Jan 30, 2018 |
| House | Debate and remarks H3005, H3006 | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen R-FL, James P. McGovern D-MA | May 2, 2017 |
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
- Aug 20, 2018H.R. 1872, Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2017As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on July 25, 2018
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 163, no. 58, April 4, 2017, page H2697.
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. 115-140 | STRENGTHENING AMERICAN DIPLOMACY: REVIEWING THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, OPERATIONS AND POLICY PRIORITIES182 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | May 23, 2018 |
| — | TIBET "FROM ALL ANGLES": PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS, DEFENDING STRATEGIC ACCESS, AND CHALLENGING CHINA'S EXPORT OF CENSORSHIP GLOBALLY72 pages | Congressional-Executive Commission on China | Feb 14, 2018 |
| Serial No. 115-102 | U.S. POLICY TOWARD TIBET: ACCESS, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, AND HUMAN RIGHTS57 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Dec 6, 2017 |
CRS reports 7
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 7
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| IF12265 | China Primer: Human Rights | Resource | Sep 21, 2026 |
| R48288 | Human Rights in China and U.S. Policy | Report | Dec 2, 2024 |
| IF11240 | China Primer: Human Rights Archived | Resource | Sep 8, 2022 |
| R46750 | Human Rights in China and U.S. Policy: Issues for the 117th Congress Archived | Report | Mar 31, 2021 |
| R45329 | Afghanistan: Issues for Congress and Legislation 2017-2020 Archived | Report | Aug 19, 2020 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 821 | Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2017 | Related bill | Apr 4, 2017 |
Titles 9
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title
- An act to promote access for United States diplomats and other officials, journalists, and other citizens to Tibetan areas of the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes
- Short Title
- Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018
- Official Title as Introduced
- To promote access for United States officials, journalists, and other citizens to Tibetan areas of the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes.
- Official Titles as Amended by House
- To promote access for United States diplomats and other officials, journalists, and other citizens to Tibetan areas of the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2017
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Nov 29, 2018Reported to Senate
- Sep 26, 2018Referred in Senate
- Sep 25, 2018Engrossed in House
- Apr 4, 2017Introduced 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.
