US Congress House Bill 7440 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: Passed on July 14 2020 - 100% progression
Action: 2020-07-14 - Became Public Law No: 116-149. (TXT | PDF)
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

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.

Hong Kong Autonomy Act

Rep. Brad Sherman [D-CA]	Rep. Ted Yoho [R-FL]	Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D-NY]	Rep. John Curtis [R-UT]
Rep. Gerald Connolly [D-VA]	Rep. Garland Barr [R-KY]	Rep. Thomas Suozzi [D-NY]	Rep. Guy Reschenthaler [R-PA]
Rep. Abigail Spanberger [D-VA]	Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick [R-PA]	Rep. Michael Guest [R-MS]	Rep. Scott Perry [R-PA]

Date	Chamber	Action
2020-07-14	House	Became Public Law No: 116-149. (TXT | PDF)
2020-07-14	House	Signed by President.
2020-07-14	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
2020-07-02	House	Presented to President.
2020-07-02	Senate	Message on Senate action sent to the House.
2020-07-02	Senate	Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4180)
2020-07-01	Senate	Received in the Senate, read twice.
2020-07-01	House	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2020-07-01	House	On passage Passed without objection.
2020-07-01	House	H.Amdt.831 On agreeing to the Sherman amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.
2020-07-01	House	H.Amdt.831 Amendment (A001) offered by Mr. Sherman. (consideration: CR H3044; text: CR H3044)
2020-07-01	House	Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H3039-3044; text: CR H3039-3044)
2020-07-01	House	Mr. Sherman asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
2020-07-01	House	Committee on Rules discharged.
2020-07-01	House	Committee on Ways and Means discharged.
2020-07-01	House	Committee on Financial Services discharged.
2020-07-01	House	Committee on the Judiciary discharged.
2020-07-01	House	Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.
2020-07-01	House	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.
2020-07-01	House	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.
2020-07-01	House	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.
2020-07-01	House	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.
2020-07-01	House	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.
2020-07-01	House	Introduced in House

HB7083 (Related) 2020-06-01 - 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.
SB3798 (Related) 2020-06-29 - Held at the desk.
SB4049 (Related) 2020-08-07 - Held at the desk.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7440/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr7440/BILLS-116hr7440eh.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr7440/BILLS-116hr7440enr.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr7440/BILLS-116hr7440cph.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr7440/BILLS-116hr7440ih.pdf