Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act
Latest action · Oct 1, 2020 Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organization Discharged.
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 22, 2020
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act
This bill establishes strategies and reporting requirements related to internationally recognized human rights and COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
Specifically, the bill requires the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to submit (1) a strategy for carrying out programs to support democratic institutions, freedom of the press, civil society, and human rights defenders in countries where government measures in response to COVID-19 violated or undermined internationally recognized human rights; and (2) a five-year strategic plan outlining the steps to address persistent human rights issues in the aftermath of COVID-19.
The bill also conditions the provision of security assistance to a foreign government on consideration of whether the foreign government used emergency laws, policies, or administrative procedures in violation of internationally recognized human rights.
Further, the bill requires the State Department to author initial, monthly, and final reports describing, among other things (1) specified countries' adherence to certain human rights principles in responding to COVID-19, (2) the actions of the U.S. government to address foreign governments' violations of human rights in responding to COVID-19, (3) the impact of such violations on things such as access to health care and the efforts and ability to control the pandemic, and (4) the U.S government's global efforts to counter disinformation and disseminate accurate information about the pandemic.
The bill also requires the inclusion of certain information, such as the misuse and abuse of emergency powers, in the annual country reports on human rights practices.
Cosponsors 18
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 22, 2020 to Oct 9, 2020; 5 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-MO | Ann Wagner | Original | May 22, 2020 |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Original | May 22, 2020 |
| R-FL | Gus M. Bilirakis | Original | May 22, 2020 |
| D-MD | Jamie Raskin | Original | May 22, 2020 |
| D-NJ | Tom Malinowski | Original | May 22, 2020 |
| D-MD | David J. Trone | Jul 16, 2020 | |
| D-MN | Ilhan Omar | Jul 16, 2020 | |
| D-PA | Matt Cartwright | Jul 16, 2020 | |
| D-VA | Abigail Davis Spanberger | Jul 31, 2020 | |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Jul 31, 2020 | |
| D-CA | Karen Bass | Aug 22, 2020 | |
| D-MA | William R. Keating | Sep 14, 2020 | |
| D-CA | Brad Sherman | Sep 29, 2020 | |
| D-RI | David N. Cicilline | Sep 29, 2020 | |
| D-NJ | Albio Sires | Sep 30, 2020 |
Committees 1
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 22, 2020Markup Oct 1, 2020 |
| Africa Subcommittee | Referred Jun 26, 2020Discharged Oct 2, 2020 |
Actions 6
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 1, 2020Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Oct 1, 2020Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Oct 1, 2020Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organization Discharged.
- Jun 26, 2020Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.
- May 22, 2020Introduced in House
- May 22, 2020Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 97, May 22, 2020, page H2278.
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. 116-110 | MARKUP OF H.R. 6986, 7990, 7673, 8409, 4507, 8428, 8405, 8259, 4636, 4326, 7954, 8438, H.Res. 1012, 697, 1100, 751, 1077, 672, 17, 823, 996, 958, 825, 1121, 1115, 768, 1150, 1145564 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Oct 1, 2020 |
| Serial No. 116-108 | DEMOCRATIC BACKSLIDING IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA89 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Sep 30, 2020 |
| Serial No. 116-118 | PROTECTING DEMOCRACY DURING COVID-19 IN EUROPE AND EURASIA AND THE DEMOCRATIC AWAKENING IN BELARUS97 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Sep 10, 2020 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| R46430 | Global Democracy and Human Rights Impacts of COVID-19: In Brief Archived | Report | Jun 26, 2020 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 3819 | Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act | Related bill | May 21, 2020 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To encourage the protection and promotion of internationally recognized human rights during the novel coronavirus pandemic, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Cardiovascular and respiratory health
- Computer security and identity theft
- Congressional oversight
- Detention of persons
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Foreign aid and international relief
- Government information and archives
- Health care coverage and access
- Human rights
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
- International Affairs
- International organizations and cooperation
- Internet and video services
- Internet, web applications, social media
- Military assistance, sales, and agreements
- Minority health
- News media and reporting
- Racial and ethnic relations
- Religion
- Right of privacy
- Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
- Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
- Women's rights
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 22, 2020Introduced 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.
