HR 8428 116th Congress House Immigration Alliances Area studies and international education Asia Australia Canada China Citizenship and naturalization Congressional oversight Cultural exchanges and relations Detention of persons Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad Elections, voting, political campaign regulation Europe Hong Kong Human rights Immigration status and procedures International exchange and broadcasting International organizations and cooperation Japan

Hong Kong People’s Freedom and Choice Act of 2020

Introduced: September 29, 2020 See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 11 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Dec 8, 2020

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Dec 7, 2020

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Dec 7, 2020

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H6872-6874)

Dec 7, 2020

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H6872-6874)

Dec 7, 2020

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8428.

Dec 7, 2020

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6872-6877)

Dec 7, 2020

Mr. Engel moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

Oct 1, 2020

Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

Oct 1, 2020

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Sep 29, 2020

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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.

Sep 29, 2020

Introduced in House

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act of 2020

This bill provides for temporary protected status (TPS) and refugee status for qualifying Hong Kong residents and contains other immigration-related provisions.

Hong Kong shall be treated as a TPS-designated country for 18 months starting from this bill's enactment. (Qualifying nationals of a TPS-designated country may not be removed from the United States and shall have employment authorization while the designation is in effect.)

Furthermore, Hong Kong shall be treated as separate from China for the purposes of various numerical limitations on immigrant visas. (Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system.)

The bill also establishes Priority Hong Kong Resident status for qualified individuals. To obtain such status, an individual must meet certain requirements, such as having resided in Hong Kong for at least ten years as of the day of this bill's enactment and not having citizenship in any jurisdiction other than China, Hong Kong, or Macau.

For the purposes of seeking refugee status or asylum, a Priority Hong Kong Resident (and certain family members of such an individual) may establish that the individual has a well-founded fear of persecution if the individual asserts such fear and (1) had a significant role in an organization that supported the 2019 or 2020 protests related to China's encroachment into Hong Kong's autonomy or the Hong Kong National Security Law enacted in 2020; or (2) was arrested, charged, detained, or convicted for participating in the nonviolent exercise of certain rights.

What's happening now December 8, 2020

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Committees of jurisdiction 3