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S 1220 105th Congress Senate Government Operations and Politics Administrative remedies Armed Forces and National Security Caribbean area Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Congress Congress and foreign policy Congressional reporting requirements Covert operations Executive reorganization Federal advisory bodies Freedom of information Governmental investigations Guatemala Honduras Human rights International Affairs Latin America Law President and foreign policy

Human Rights Information Act

Introduced: September 25, 1997 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 25, 1997
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
Sep 25, 1997
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9970-9971)
Sep 25, 1997
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Human Rights Information Act - Requires certain Federal agencies to identify and organize all human rights records regarding activities occurring in Guatemala and Honduras after 1944 for declassification and disclosure purposes, and to make them available to the public and other official entities, including Latin American or Caribbean countries.

Instructs the President to report to the Congress regarding agency compliance.

Prescribes guidelines under which the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (the Panel) shall review agency determinations to postpone public disclosure of any human rights record. Authorizes postponement of such public disclosures on specified grounds.

Directs the Information Security Policy Advisory Council to report to the Congress on declassification of human rights records relating to other Latin American and Caribbean countries and to make such report available to the public.

Creates two additional positions in the Panel in order to implement this Act.

What's happening now September 25, 1997

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 2635 Identical bill Human Rights Information Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 3
All 3 Democratic 3
D
Wyden, Ron
Oregon · Nov 3, 1997
 D
Durbin, Richard J.
Illinois · Oct 22, 1997
 D
Murray, Patty
Washington · Sep 25, 1997
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1220: Human Rights Information Act. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-1220/
MLA
"S. 1220: Human Rights Information Act." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-1220/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1220, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-1220/.
Markdown link
[S. 1220: Human Rights Information Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-1220/)
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