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H.R. 4240: Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012

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H.R. 4240: Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012

112th Congress · introduced 2012-03-22 · International Affairs · Latest: Became Public Law No: 112-172.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2012-03-22 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-18] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 112-172. (final step reached)
  5. 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

Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on May 15, 2012. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) continue to seek cooperation from foreign governments to allow the United States to process North Korean refugees overseas for U.S. resettlement, (2) urge China to halt its forcible repatriation of North Koreans, and (3) allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to North Koreans inside China to determine whether such North Koreans are refugees requiring protection. Amends the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 to authorize appropriations through FY2017: (1) for grants that promote democracy, human rights, and a market economy in North Korea, (2) to increase the availability of non-government controlled information inside North Korea, and (3) for organizations or persons that provide humanitarian assistance to North Koreans who are outside of North Korea. Extends through 2017 the annual congressional reporting requirement for: (1) the Secretary of State to report on activities to increase the availability of non-government controlled information inside North Korea, (2) the Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues to report on human rights related activities, (3) the Secretary and Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to report on U.S. humanitarian assistance inside North Korea and to North Koreans outside of North Korea, and (4) the Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to report on the number of North Koreans seeking refugee status or political asylum in the United States. Directs the Broadcasting Board of Governors to report to Congress regarding U.S. broadcasting to North Korea and the extent to which the Board has achieved the goal of 12-hour-per-day broadcasting to North Korea.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

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

Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate without amendment)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-18] · 28 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Brad Sherman (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL)

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)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-hr4240 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112