H.R. 7428: Hong Kong People’s Freedom and Choice Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-06-30 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-06-30 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Malinowski, Tom [D-NJ-7] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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. 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 People’s Freedom and Choice Act

Plain summary

Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act This bill provides for immigration benefits related to Hong Kong in the event that China puts into effect national security legislation in Hong Kong that would curtail political freedoms. (Hong Kong is part of China but has a separate legal system. U.S. law provides Hong Kong with special treatment due to this autonomy.) If China promulgates the Hong Kong national security law, Hong Kong shall receive temporary protected status for 18 months. During this period, qualifying Hong Kong residents who have been continuously present in the United States since this bill's enactment and apply for such status shall have work authorization and may not be removed from the United States. If the President suspends Hong Kong's special treatment under U.S. law, Hong Kong shall continue for five years to be treated as a separate foreign state when calculating annual per-country caps under immigration law. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may provide special immigrant status to a qualifying Hong Kong resident who meets certain educational requirements or owns a company of a certain size. DHS may admit up to 50,000 principal aliens under this provision for each of the five fiscal years after this bill's enactment, and such aliens shall not be subject to other numerical limits. Qualifying Hong Kong residents who fear political persecution from China and apply for permanent resident status shall be deemed to have an approved petition. Certain provisions, such as requiring applicants to have a valid entry document, shall not apply to such individuals.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in 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 People’s Freedom and Choice Act

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. Malinowski, Tom [D-NJ-7] · 15 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

John R. Curtis (R-UT), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Steve Cohen (D-TN)

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 (4)

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.
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).
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

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-116hr7428.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr7428 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116