Hong Kong Autonomy Act
This bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that materially contribute to China's failure to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy.
Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system with protections for civil rights such as freedom of speech. This arrangement is enshrined in (1) the Joint Declaration, a 1984 treaty pertaining to the United Kingdom's transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China; and (2) the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitutional document.
The Department of State shall report annually to Congress information about (1) foreign individuals and entities that materially contributed to China's failure to comply with the Joint Declaration or the Basic Law; and (2) foreign financial institutions that knowingly conducted a significant transaction with such identified individuals and entities. An individual, entity, or financial institution may be excluded from this report for various reasons, such as to protect an intelligence source.
The President shall impose property-blocking sanctions on an individual or entity named in a report, and visa-blocking sanctions on a named individual. The President shall impose various sanctions on a financial institution named in a report, such as prohibiting the institution from receiving loans from a U.S. financial institution.
The President may waive or terminate the imposition of sanctions under this bill. Congress may override such a waiver or termination by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
| Action Date | Type | Text | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-14 | President | Became Public Law No: 116-149. | Library of Congress |
| 2020-07-14 | President | Signed by President. | Library of Congress |
| 2020-07-14 | Committee | Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade. | House committee actions |
| 2020-07-02 | Floor | Presented to President. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-02 | Floor | Message on Senate action sent to the House. | Senate |
| 2020-07-02 | Floor | Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4180) | Senate |
| 2020-07-01 | IntroReferral | Received in the Senate, read twice. | Senate |
| 2020-07-01 | Floor | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | Floor | On passage Passed without objection. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | Floor | Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H3039-3044; text: CR H3039-3044) | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | Floor | Mr. Sherman asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | Discharge | Committee on Rules discharged. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | Discharge | Committee on Ways and Means discharged. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | Discharge | Committee on Financial Services discharged. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | Discharge | Committee on the Judiciary discharged. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | Discharge | Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, Ways and Means, and Rules, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, Ways and Means, and Rules, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, Ways and Means, and Rules, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, Ways and Means, and Rules, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, Ways and Means, and Rules, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2020-07-01 | IntroReferral | Introduced in House | Library of Congress |