To provide for a review of sanctions with respect to Hong Kong.
H.R. 733 would require the President to conduct a one-time, time-bound review of whether certain Hong Kong–related individuals meet the criteria for sanctions under several U.S. authorities. Within 180 days of enactment, the President must submit to Congress a determination and detailed justification on whether any person listed in the bill’s specified groups should be sanctioned under authorities such as the Global Magnitsky Act, Executive Order 13818, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act (HKHRDA) and related Hong Kong autonomy statute, or Executive Order 13936 related to Hong Kong normalization. The bill does not itself impose or modify sanctions; rather, it formalizes a congressional review process that could pave the way for future sanctions decisions if the President finds that listed individuals meet the relevant criteria. The bill lists two groups of individuals: (1) a set of people who were already sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in August 2020, whose current roles may require updating; and (2) a broader roster of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region officials and judiciary who are “listed” for consideration. The review is to be reported to the relevant congressional committees in both the Senate and House, establishing cross-chamber oversight and potential actions based on the findings.
Key Points
- 1180-day review requirement: The President must determine, with a detailed justification, whether any person listed in the bill’s groups meets the criteria for sanctions under specified authorities, and must submit this determination to Congress within 180 days of enactment.
- 2Sanction authorities considered: The review covers potential sanctions under (a) the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (section 1263(b)); (b) Executive Order 13818 (sanctions for serious human rights abuses or corruption); (c) section 7 of the HKHRDA (2019); (d) section 6 of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act; and (e) Executive Order 13936 (related to Hong Kong normalization).
- 3Two lists of persons for consideration:
- 4- Subsection (b): Persons previously sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in August 2020, whose current roles may require updates.
- 5- Subsection (c): A broader list of Hong Kong SAR officials and judiciary who are to be considered for potential sanctions.
- 6Defined congressional committees: “Appropriate congressional committees” are the Senate committees on Foreign Relations and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the House committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services.
- 7Purpose and effect: The bill creates a formal, time-limited mechanism for reviewing whether listed individuals meet sanction criteria; it does not itself impose sanctions, but it could enable future sanction actions if the President determines criteria are met.