H.R. 3289: Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-06-13 · International Affairs · Latest: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 243.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-06-13 · 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: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 243. 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

Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019

Plain summary

Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 This bill addresses Hong Kong's status under U.S. law and imposes sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong. (Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system.) The Department of State shall certify annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong warrants its unique treatment under various treaties, agreements, and U.S. law. The analysis shall evaluate whether Hong Kong is upholding the rule of law and protecting rights enumerated in various documents, including (1) the agreement between the United Kingdom and China regarding Hong Kong's return to China, and (2) the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bill extends existing annual reporting requirements on matters of U.S. interest in Hong Kong through 2027 and expands such reports to include assessments of (1) limits to Hong Kong's autonomy, either self-imposed or due to China's actions; and (2) whether rescission of Hong Kong's special treatment would further erode Hong Kong's autonomy. The President shall annually report to Congress on Hong Kong's enforcement of U.S. export controls, including whether items of U.S. origin have been used for mass surveillance in China and whether Hong Kong has been used to evade sanctions on North Korea or Iran. The State Department shall notify Congress if any proposed or enacted law in Hong Kong negatively impacts U.S. interests, including by putting U.S. citizens at risk of rendition to China. The President shall impose property and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for gross human rights violations in Hong Kong.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House), 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

Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)

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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. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · 47 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 3289, Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (2019-10-09)

Cosponsors on this site

James P. McGovern (D-MA), Scott Perry (R-PA), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Don Bacon (R-NE), Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), Ed Case (D-HI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), John R. Curtis (R-UT), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), J. French Hill (R-AR), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Jim Costa (D-CA)

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 (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr3289.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr3289 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116