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H.R. 4270: Placing Restrictions on Teargas Exports and Crowd Control Technology to Hong Kong Act

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H.R. 4270: Placing Restrictions on Teargas Exports and Crowd Control Technology to Hong Kong Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-09-10 · International Affairs · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-09-10 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  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

Placing Restrictions on Teargas Exports and Crowd Control Technology to Hong Kong Act

Plain summary

Placing Restrictions on Teargas Exports and Crowd Control Technology to Hong Kong Act or the PROTECT Hong Kong Act This bill directs the President to prohibit the issuance of licenses to export certain defense items and services to the Hong Kong Police Force or the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force. Items subject to the prohibition include defense articles and services on the U.S. Munitions List and certain crime-control and detection technology and software. The prohibition shall not apply to a particular license if the President certifies to Congress that the covered exports are important to U.S. national interests and foreign policy goals. The prohibitions shall terminate when the President certifies to Congress that (1) the covered Hong Kong forces have not engaged in gross human rights violations for the one-year period leading up to the certification, (2) there has been an independent examination of human rights concerns related to the covered forces' crowd-control tactics, and (3) and the Hong Kong government has adequately addressed such concerns. The Department of State and the Department of Commerce shall report to Congress as to items subject to the prohibition that have been exported to the Hong Kong forces covered in the bill in the last five years.

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

Placing Restrictions on Teargas Exports and Crowd Control Technology to Hong Kong Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] · 32 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 4270, Placing Restrictions on Teargas Exports and Crowd Control Technology to Hong Kong Act (2019-10-09)

Cosponsors on this site

Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), William R. Keating (D-MA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Jim Costa (D-CA), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Lori Trahan (D-MA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] reported raising $1.0 million (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 (1)
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).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-hr4270 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116