Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2021
Latest action · Apr 22, 2021 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.
- IntroducedFeb 26, 2021
- Passed HouseApr 21, 2021
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2021
This bill imposes temporary limits on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and requires various reports and actions related to the death of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The President may not transfer or authorize for export certain defense articles or services to Saudi Arabia for 120 days after this bill's enactment. The prohibition shall remain in effect for up to three years unless the President periodically certifies to Congress that Saudi Arabia has not conducted (1) forced repatriation, intimidation, or killing of dissidents in other countries; (2) unjust imprisonment in Saudi Arabia of U.S. citizens or lawful aliens; or (3) torture of detainees in custody of the government of Saudi Arabia.
The President shall certify to Congress that individuals with Saudi diplomatic credentials are not using such credentials to track or harass Saudi nationals in the United States. If the President does not make such a certification, the President shall close at least one Saudi diplomatic or consular facility in the United States until the certification is made.
The bill requires reports to Congress on (1) whether any Saudi officials have engaged in a consistent pattern of harassment against any individual in the United States, and (2) whether the intelligence community fulfilled its duty to warn Khashoggi of the threats to his life.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 130 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed350–71 | Apr 21, 2021 |
Cosponsors 11
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 26, 2021 to Mar 29, 2021; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Karen Bass | Original | Feb 26, 2021 |
| D-RI | David N. Cicilline | Mar 1, 2021 | |
| D-NV | Dina Titus | Mar 1, 2021 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Mar 1, 2021 | |
| D-MN | Ilhan Omar | Mar 1, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Ro Khanna | Mar 1, 2021 | |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Mar 8, 2021 | |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Mar 8, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Katie Porter | Mar 16, 2021 | |
| D-FL | Alcee L. Hastings | Mar 23, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Brad Sherman | Mar 29, 2021 |
Committees 3
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 Feb 26, 2021Markup Mar 25, 2021 |
| House | Intelligence (Permanent Select) Committee | Referred Feb 26, 2021 |
| Senate | Foreign Relations Committee | Referred Apr 22, 2021 |
Actions 12
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 22, 2021Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Apr 21, 2021Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2032)
- Apr 21, 2021Passed/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): 350 - 71 (Roll no. 130). (text: 04/19/2021 CR H1939-1941)
- Apr 21, 2021Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Apr 19, 2021Mr. Meeks moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Apr 19, 2021Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1939-1942)
- Apr 19, 2021DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1392.
- Apr 19, 2021At 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.
- Mar 25, 2021Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Mar 25, 2021Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Feb 26, 2021Introduced in House
- Feb 26, 2021Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In the Congressional Record 2
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 H2032enactLists H2032Votes recorded by proxy on H.R. 1392, Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act | — | Apr 21, 2021 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1939–H1942Text printed H1939–H1941Notices H1952Estimated budget effects of H.R. 1392, Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act | Ann Wagner R-MO, Gerald E. Connolly D-VA, Gregory W. Meeks D-NY, John A. Yarmuth D-KY, Peter Meijer R-MI | Apr 19, 2021 |
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
- Apr 15, 2021H.R. 1392, Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2021As ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 25, 2021
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 37, February 26, 2021, page H859.
Printed hearings 2
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.A.S.C. No. 117-20 | National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activities in the Greater Middle East and Africa132 pages | Armed Services Committee | Apr 20, 2021 |
| Serial No. 117-20 | MARKUP OF H.R. 391, H.R. 1079, H.R. 1145, H.R. 1500, H.R. 1158, H.R. 1083, H.R. 1392, H.R. 1464, H.R. 256, H.R. 2118, H.Res. 245, H.R. 1934397 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Mar 25, 2021 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To protect Saudi dissidents in the United States, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2021
- Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2021
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Asia
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Congressional oversight
- Crime victims
- Detention of persons
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Europe
- Foreign aid and international relief
- Government studies and investigations
- Human rights
- Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
- International Affairs
- Licensing and registrations
- Middle East
- Military assistance, sales, and agreements
- News media and reporting
- Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
- Protest and dissent
- Sanctions
- Saudi Arabia
- Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
- Turkey
- Violent crime
- Visas and passports
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 22, 2021Referred in Senate
- Apr 21, 2021Engrossed in House
- Feb 26, 2021Introduced 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.
