HCONRES 237 105th Congress House International Affairs Belarus Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Democracy Europe Foreign Trade and International Finance Foreign leaders Government Operations and Politics Human rights International agencies Law Most favored nation principle Treaties

Voicing concern about the serious limitations on human rights and civil liberties in Belarus, including lack of compliance with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments,…

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Voicing concern about the serious limitations on human rights and civil liberties in Belarus, including lack of compliance with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments, and urging the President to take these into consideration in his determination of most-favored-nation (MFN) status for Belarus.

Introduced: March 5, 1998 Introduced by: Smith, Christopher H. Republican · New Jersey See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 7 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

Apr 22, 1998

Referred to the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.

Apr 22, 1998

Referred to the Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade.

Mar 9, 1998

Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

Mar 5, 1998

Referred to House Ways and Means

Mar 5, 1998

Referred to House International Relations

Mar 5, 1998

Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

Mar 5, 1998

Introduced in House

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Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Declares that the Congress: (1) voices its concern about the current limitations on human rights and civil liberties in Belarus, and calls upon its government to follow the principles embodied in the 1994 constitution and abide by its commitments under the Helsinki Final Act (including subsequent agreements of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international commitments); (2) urges the Belarusian President to restore the rights of the Supreme Soviet; (3) urges the President, the Secretary of State, the U.S. Embassy in Miensk, and the U.S. missions to the United Nations and the OSCE to utilize every opportunity to encourage the Government of Belarus to respect its international human rights commitments, including OSCE principles and norms; (4) welcomes the work of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in assisting in the development of democratic institutions in Belarus; and (5) urges the President not to renew the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) to the products of Belarus if there is not sufficient improvement in its human rights record.

What's happening now April 22, 1998

Referred to the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.

Bill text 1 version

Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 5

Foreign Affairs Committee
House of Representatives
International Economic Policy and Trade Subcommittee
House of Representatives · subcommittee of Foreign Affairs Committee
International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee
House of Representatives · subcommittee of Foreign Affairs Committee
Trade Subcommittee
House of Representatives · subcommittee of Ways and Means Committee
Ways and Means Committee
House of Representatives

Cosponsors 2

Hoyer, Steny H.

Maryland · Mar 5, 1998

Markey, Edward J.

Massachusetts · Mar 5, 1998

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APA

U.S. Congress. (2026). H. Con. Res. 237: Voicing concern about the serious limitations on human rights and civil liberties in Belarus, including lack of compliance with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments, and urging the President to take these into consideration in his determination of most-favored-nation (MFN) status for Belarus.. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HCONRES-237/

MLA

"H. Con. Res. 237: Voicing concern about the serious limitations on human rights and civil liberties in Belarus, including lack of compliance with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments, and urging the President to take these into consideration in his determination of most-favored-nation (MFN) status for Belarus.." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HCONRES-237/.

Bluebook (legal)

H. Con. Res. 237, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HCONRES-237/.

Markdown link

[H. Con. Res. 237: Voicing concern about the serious limitations on human rights and civil liberties in Belarus, including lack of compliance with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments, and urging the President to take these into consideration in his determination of most-favored-nation (MFN) status for Belarus.](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HCONRES-237/)