Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020
Latest action · Jun 17, 2020 Became Public Law No: 116-145.
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 14, 2020
- Passed SenateMay 14, 2020
- Passed HouseMay 27, 2020
- To the PresidentJun 8, 2020
- Became lawJun 17, 2020Public Law 116-145
Summary
Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020
This bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region and requires various reports on the topic.
The President shall periodically report to Congress a list identifying foreign individuals and entities responsible for such human rights abuses. The President shall impose (1) property-blocking sanctions on the identified individuals and entities, and (2) visa-blocking sanctions on the identified individuals.
The bill requires reports to Congress on (1) human rights abuses in Xinjiang; (2) efforts to protect U.S. citizens and residents, including ethnic Uyghurs and Chinese nationals studying or working in the United States, from harassment and intimidation by the Chinese government; and (3) the Chinese government's acquisition and development of technology to facilitate internment and mass surveillance in Xinjiang.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence shall submit a classified report to Congress on (1) Chinese government policies in Xinjiang that constitute gross violations of human rights, and (2) the scope and scale of the detention and forced labor of Muslim minority groups in China.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 110 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass | Passed413–1 | May 27, 2020 |
Cosponsors 66
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on May 14, 2020.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| I-ME | Angus S. King Jr. | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-NE | Ben Sasse | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| D-MD | Benjamin L. Cardin | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-IA | Chuck Grassley | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-CO | Cory Gardner | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-AK | Dan Sullivan | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-NE | Deb Fischer | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Original | May 14, 2020 |
Actions 15
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 17, 2020Signed by President.
- Jun 17, 2020Became Public Law No: 116-145.
- Jun 8, 2020Presented to President.
- May 27, 2020Mr. Sherman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- May 27, 2020Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2293-2300)
- May 27, 2020DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3744.
- May 27, 2020At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- May 27, 2020Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2311-2312)
- May 27, 2020Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 413 - 1 (Roll no. 110). (text: CR H2293-2295)
- May 27, 2020Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- May 15, 2020Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- May 15, 2020Received in the House.
- May 15, 2020Held at the desk.
- May 14, 2020Introduced in Senate
- May 14, 2020Passed/agreed to in Senate: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2458-2461; text: CR S2459-2461)
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 S3073 | Mitch McConnell R-KY | Jun 18, 2020 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2293–H2300Text printed H2293–H2295Recorded votes H2311enactLists H2312Votes recorded by proxy on S. 3744, Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act | Brad Sherman D-CA, Christopher H. Smith R-NJ, James P. McGovern D-MA, Michael T. McCaul R-TX, Nancy Pelosi D-CA, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Steve Chabot R-OH, Thomas R. Suozzi D-NY | May 27, 2020 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2470 | Mitch McConnell R-KY | May 18, 2020 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2458, S2459Text printed S2452–S2455, S2459–S2461 | Mitch McConnell R-KY | May 14, 2020 |
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.
CRS reports 8
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 8
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 |
| IF10281 | China Primer: Uyghurs | Resource | Sep 22, 2023 |
| IF11240 | China Primer: Human Rights Archived | Resource | Sep 8, 2022 |
| R46977 | China’s Political System in Charts: A Snapshot Before the 20th Party Congress Archived | Report | Nov 24, 2021 |
Titles 5
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to condemn gross human rights violations of ethnic Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, and calling for an end to arbitrary detention, torture, and harassment of these communities inside and outside China.
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Asia
- China
- Congressional oversight
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Detention of persons
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Foreign property
- Human rights
- Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
- International Affairs
- International exchange and broadcasting
- International organizations and cooperation
- Labor standards
- News media and reporting
- Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
- Protest and dissent
- Racial and ethnic relations
- Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
- Religion
- Sanctions
- Technology transfer and commercialization
- Trade restrictions
- U.S. and foreign investments
- Visas and passports
- War and emergency powers
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- May 14, 2020Considered and Passed Senate
- May 14, 2020Engrossed in Senate
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.
