H.Con.Res. 109: Expressing the sense of Congress that the People's Republic of China should not repatriate the North Korean refugees detained in China, subjecting them to torture, imprisonment, and execution, but allow their resettlement in the Republic of Korea and other countries.

H.Con.Res. 109: Expressing the sense of Congress that the People's Republic of China should not repatriate the North Korean refugees detained in China, subjecting them to torture, imprisonment, and execution, but allow their resettlement in the Republic of Korea and other countries.

112th Congress · introduced 2012-03-20 · International Affairs · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2012-03-20 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Expressing the sense of Congress that the People's Republic of China should not repatriate the North Korean refugees detained in China, subjecting them to torture, imprisonment, and execution, but allow their resettlement in the Republic of Korea and other countries.

Plain summary

Requests that: (1) China honor its obligations under the United Nations Convention relating to the 1951 Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, and (2) the U.S. Ambassador to China should report within 30 days about whether he is allowed to visit the North Korean refugees and on their plight. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) forced repatriations of North Korean refugees should be stopped, (2) North Korean refugees wishing third country resettlement should be allowed to apply for asylum with the assistance of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and (3) the High Commissioner should have access to all North Korean refugees in China.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Expressing the sense of Congress that the People's Republic of China should not repatriate the North Korean refugees detained in China, subjecting them to torture, imprisonment, and execution, but allow their resettlement in the Republic of Korea and other countries.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] reported raising $797,217 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote: A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hconres109.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hconres>

Record fed-us-cong112-hconres109 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112