Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act
Latest action · May 21, 2020 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 21, 2020
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot 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 9
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 21, 2020 to Jul 22, 2020, with 8 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MD | Benjamin L. Cardin | Original | May 21, 2020 |
| D-CT | Christopher Murphy | Original | May 21, 2020 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | May 21, 2020 |
| R-GA | Kelly Loeffler | Original | May 21, 2020 |
| R-ND | Kevin Cramer | Original | May 21, 2020 |
| R-TN | Marsha Blackburn | Original | May 21, 2020 |
| R-MS | Roger F. Wicker | Original | May 21, 2020 |
| R-IN | Todd Young | Original | May 21, 2020 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Jul 22, 2020 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 21, 2020Introduced in Senate
- May 21, 2020Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 6986 | Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act | Related bill | Oct 1, 2020 |
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 21, 2020Introduced 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.