US Congress Senate Bill 1649 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 4)
Status: Introduced on November 5 2013 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2013-11-05 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Pending: Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013 - Prohibits U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to the government of Vietnam in excess of FY2012 amounts unless the President certifies to Congress that the government of Vietnam has made substantial progress respecting political, media, and religious freedoms, minority rights, access to U.S. refugee programs, return of confiscated religious estates and property, and actions to end trafficking in persons and to release political prisoners. Authorizes the President to waive such requirements if increased U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance would promote the purposes of this Act or is otherwise in the U.S. national interest. Allows the President to waive such authority with respect to: (1) all U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to Vietnam; or (2) one or more programs, projects, or activities of such assistance. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should take measures to overcome the jamming of Radio Free Asia by Vietnam and that the Broadcasting Board of Governors should not cut staffing, funding, or broadcast hours for the Vietnamese language services of the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia; (2) U.S.-Vietnam educational and cultural exchange programs should promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam; (3) the Secretary of State should oppose Vietnam's candidacy for membership on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC); (4) Vietnam should be designated as a country of particular concern for religious freedom; and (5) Vietnam does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance.

Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013

Sen. John Boozman [R-AR]

Sen. Roy Blunt [R-MO]

Sen. John Cornyn [R-TX]

Sen. David Vitter [R-LA]

Date	Chamber	Action
2013-11-05	Senate	Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

HB1897 (Related) 2013-09-09 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1649/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/113/bills/s1649/BILLS-113s1649is.pdf