118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1103 

AN ACT 

To require the President to remove the extension of certain 

privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the Hong Kong 

Economic and Trade Offices if Hong Kong no longer 

enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the People’s 

Republic of China, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hong Kong Economic 

3 and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DETERMINATION ON WHETHER TO EXTEND CER5 TAIN PRIVILEGES, EXEMPTIONS, AND IMMU6 NITIES TO THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND 

7 TRADE OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES. 

8 (a) DETERMINATION REQUIRED.—Not later than 30 

9 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 

10 thereafter as part of each certification required by the Sec11 retary of State under section 205(a)(1)(A) of the United 

12 States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 

13 5725(a)(1)(A)), the Secretary of State shall, as part of 

14 such certification, include a separate determination that— 

15 (1) the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Of16 fices— 

17 (A) merit extension and application of the 

18 privileges, exemptions, and immunities specified 

19 in subsection (b); or 

20 (B) no longer merit extension and applica21 tion of the privileges, exemptions, and immuni22 ties specified in subsection (b); and 

23 (2) a detailed report justifying that determina24 tion, which may include considerations related to 

25 United States national security interests. 
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1 (b) PRIVILEGES, EXEMPTIONS, AND IMMUNITIES

2 SPECIFIED.—The privileges, exemptions, and immunities 

3 specified in this subsection are the privileges, exemptions, 

4 and immunities extended and applied to the Hong Kong 

5 Economic and Trade Offices under section 1 of the Act 

6 entitled ‘‘An Act to extend certain privileges, exemptions, 

7 and immunities to Hong Kong Economic and Trade Of8 fices’’, approved June 27, 1997 (22 U.S.C. 288k). 

9 (c) EFFECT OF DETERMINATION.— 

10 (1) TERMINATION.—If the Secretary of State 

11 determines under subsection (a)(1)(B) that the 

12 Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices no longer 

13 merit extension and application of the privileges, ex14 emptions, and immunities specified in subsection (b), 

15 the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices shall 

16 terminate operations not later than 180 days after 

17 the date on which that determination is delivered to 

18 the appropriate congressional committees, as part of 

19 the certification required under section 205(a)(1)(A) 

20 of the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 

21 (22 U.S.C. 5725(a)(1)(A)). 

22 (2) CONTINUED OPERATIONS.—If the Secretary 

23 of State determines under subsection (a)(1)(A) that 

24 the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices merit 

25 extension and application of the privileges, exemp-
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1 tions, and immunities specified in subsection (b), the 

2 Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices may con3 tinue operations for the one-year period following 

4 the date of the certification that includes that deter5 mination or until the next certification required 

6 under section 205(a)(1)(A) of the United States7 Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 

8 5725(a)(1)(A)) is submitted, whichever occurs first, 

9 unless a disapproval resolution is enacted under sub10 section (d). 

11 (d) CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW.— 

12 (1) DISAPPROVAL RESOLUTION.—In this sub13 section, the term ‘‘disapproval resolution’’ means 

14 only a joint resolution of either House of Congress— 

15 (A) the title of which is the following: ‘‘A 

16 joint resolution disapproving the certification by 

17 the President that the Hong Kong Economic 

18 and Trade Offices continue to merit extension 

19 and application of certain privileges, exemp20 tions, and immunities.’’; and 

21 (B) the sole matter after the resolving 

22 clause of which is the following: ‘‘Congress dis23 approves of the certification by the President 

24 under section 2(a)(1)(A) of the Hong Kong 

25 Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certifi-
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1 cation Act that the Hong Kong Economic and 

2 Trade Offices merit extension and application 

3 of certain privileges, exemptions, and immuni4 ties, on lll.’’, with the blank space being 

5 filled with the appropriate date. 

6 (2) INTRODUCTION.—A disapproval resolution 

7 may be introduced— 

8 (A) in the House of Representatives, by 

9 the majority leader or the minority leader; and 

10 (B) in the Senate, by the majority leader 

11 (or the majority leader’s designee) or the mi12 nority leader (or the minority leader’s des13 ignee). 

14 (3) FLOOR CONSIDERATION IN HOUSE OF REP15 RESENTATIVES.—If a committee of the House of 

16 Representatives to which a disapproval resolution 

17 has been referred has not reported the resolution 

18 within 10 legislative days after the date of referral, 

19 that committee shall be discharged from further con20 sideration of the resolution. 

21 (4) CONSIDERATION IN SENATE.— 

22 (A) COMMITTEE REFERRAL.—A dis23 approval resolution introduced in the Senate 

24 shall be referred to the Committee on Foreign 

25 Relations. 
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1 (B) REPORTING AND DISCHARGE.—If the 

2 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 

3 has not reported the resolution within 10 legis4 lative days after the date of referral of the reso5 lution, that committee shall be discharged from 

6 further consideration of the resolution and the 

7 resolution shall be placed on the appropriate 

8 calendar. 

9 (C) PROCEEDING TO CONSIDERATION.— 

10 Notwithstanding Rule XXII of the Standing 

11 Rules of the Senate, it is in order at any time 

12 after the Committee on Foreign Relations re13 ports a disapproval resolution to the Senate or 

14 has been discharged from consideration of such 

15 a resolution (even though a previous motion to 

16 the same effect has been disagreed to) to move 

17 to proceed to the consideration of the resolu18 tion, and all points of order against the resolu19 tion (and against consideration of the resolu20 tion) are waived. The motion to proceed is not 

21 debatable. The motion is not subject to a mo22 tion to postpone. A motion to reconsider the 

23 vote by which the motion is agreed to or dis24 agreed to shall not be in order. 
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1 (D) RULINGS OF THE CHAIR ON PROCE2 DURE.—Appeals from the decisions of the Chair 

3 relating to the application of the rules of the 

4 Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure re5 lating to a disapproval resolution shall be de6 cided without debate. 

7 (E) CONSIDERATION OF VETO MES8 SAGES.—Debate in the Senate of any veto mes9 sage with respect to a disapproval resolution, 

10 including all debatable motions and appeals in 

11 connection with the resolution, shall be limited 

12 to 10 hours, to be equally divided between, and 

13 controlled by, the majority leader and the mi14 nority leader or their designees. 

15 (5) RULES RELATING TO SENATE AND HOUSE

16 OF REPRESENTATIVES.— 

17 (A) TREATMENT OF SENATE RESOLUTION

18 IN HOUSE.—In the House of Representatives, 

19 the following procedures shall apply to a dis20 approval resolution received from the Senate 

21 (unless the House has already passed a resolu22 tion relating to the same proposed action): 

23 (i) The resolution shall be referred to 

24 the appropriate committees. 
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1 (ii) If a committee to which a resolu2 tion has been referred has not reported the 

3 resolution within 10 legislative days after 

4 the date of referral, that committee shall 

5 be discharged from further consideration 

6 of the resolution. 

7 (iii) Beginning on the third legislative 

8 day after each committee to which a reso9 lution has been referred reports the resolu10 tion to the House or has been discharged 

11 from further consideration thereof, it shall 

12 be in order to move to proceed to consider 

13 the resolution in the House. All points of 

14 order against the motion are waived. Such 

15 a motion shall not be in order after the 

16 House has disposed of a motion to proceed 

17 on the resolution. The previous question 

18 shall be considered as ordered on the mo19 tion to its adoption without intervening 

20 motion. The motion shall not be debatable. 

21 A motion to reconsider the vote by which 

22 the motion is disposed of shall not be in 

23 order. 

24 (iv) The resolution shall be considered 

25 as read. All points of order against the res-
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1 olution and against its consideration are 

2 waived. The previous question shall be con3 sidered as ordered on the resolution to 

4 final passage without intervening motion 

5 except 2 hours of debate equally divided 

6 and controlled by the offeror of the motion 

7 to proceed (or a designee) and an oppo8 nent. A motion to reconsider the vote on 

9 passage of the resolution shall not be in 

10 order. 

11 (B) TREATMENT OF HOUSE RESOLUTION

12 IN SENATE.— 

13 (i) RECEIVED BEFORE PASSAGE OF

14 SENATE RESOLUTION.—If, before the pas15 sage by the Senate of a disapproval resolu16 tion, the Senate receives an identical reso17 lution from the House of Representatives, 

18 the following procedures shall apply: 

19 (I) That resolution shall not be 

20 referred to a committee. 

21 (II) With respect to that resolu22 tion— 

23 (aa) the procedure in the 

24 Senate shall be the same as if no 

25 resolution had been received from 
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1 the House of Representatives; 

2 but 

3 (bb) the vote on passage 

4 shall be on the resolution from 

5 the House of Representatives. 

6 (ii) RECEIVED AFTER PASSAGE OF

7 SENATE RESOLUTION.—If, following pas8 sage of a disapproval resolution in the Sen9 ate, the Senate receives an identical resolu10 tion from the House of Representatives, 

11 that resolution shall be placed on the ap12 propriate Senate calendar. 

13 (iii) NO SENATE COMPANION.—If a 

14 disapproval resolution is received from the 

15 House of Representatives, and no com16 panion resolution has been introduced in 

17 the Senate, the Senate procedures under 

18 this subsection shall apply to the resolution 

19 from the House of Representatives. 

20 (C) APPLICATION TO REVENUE MEAS21 URES.—The provisions of this subparagraph 

22 shall not apply in the House of Representatives 

23 to a disapproval resolution that is a revenue 

24 measure. 
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1 (6) RULES OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

2 AND SENATE.—This paragraph is enacted by Con3 gress— 

4 (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power 

5 of the Senate and the House of Representa6 tives, respectively, and as such is deemed a part 

7 of the rules of each House, respectively, and su8 persedes other rules only to the extent that it 

9 is inconsistent with such rules; and 

10 (B) with full recognition of the constitu11 tional right of either House to change the rules 

12 (so far as relating to the procedure of that 

13 House) at any time, in the same manner, and 

14 to the same extent as in the case of any other 

15 rule of that House. 

16 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT18 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com19 mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Relations 

20 of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

21 of the House of Representatives. 

22 (2) HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE OF23 FICES.—The term ‘‘Hong Kong Economic and 

24 Trade Offices’’ has the meaning given that term in 

25 section 1(c) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to extend 
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1 certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to 

2 Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices’’, approved 

3 June 27, 1997 (22 U.S.C. 288k). 

4 SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON CONTRACTING RELATING TO HONG 

5 KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICES. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—On and after the date of the en7 actment of this Act, an entity of the United States Gov8 ernment may enter into an agreement or partnership with 

9 the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices to promote 

10 tourism, culture, business, or other matters relating to 

11 Hong Kong only if— 

12 (1) the Secretary of State has submitted to the 

13 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 

14 the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 

15 Representatives a determination under section 

16 2(a)(1)(A) that the Hong Kong Economic and 

17 Trade Offices merit extension and application of cer18 tain privileges, exemptions, and immunities; 

19 (2) a disapproval resolution under section 2(d) 

20 is not enacted during the 90-day period following the 

21 submission of that determination; and 

22 (3) the agreement or partnership does not pro23 mote efforts by the Government of the Hong Kong 

24 Special Administrative Region and the Government 

25 of the People’s Republic of China— 
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1 (A) to justify the dismantling of the auton2 omy of Hong Kong and the freedoms and rule 

3 of law guaranteed by the Sino-British Joint 

4 Declaration of 1984; and 

5 (B) to portray within the United States 

6 the Government of the Hong Kong Special Ad7 ministrative Region or the Government of the 

8 People’s Republic of China as protecting the 

9 rule of law or the human rights and civil lib10 erties of the people of Hong Kong. 

11 (b) HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICES

12 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘Hong Kong Eco13 nomic and Trade Offices’’ has the meaning given that 

14 term in section 1(c) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to extend 

15 certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to Hong 

16 Kong Economic and Trade Offices’’, approved June 27, 

17 1997 (22 U.S.C. 288k). 

18 SEC. 4. POLICY OF UNITED STATES ON PROMOTION OF AU19 TONOMY OF GOVERNMENT OF THE HONG 

20 KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION. 

21 It is the policy of the United States— 

22 (1) to ensure that entities of the United States 

23 Government do not knowingly assist in the pro24 motion of Hong Kong as a free and autonomous city 

25 or the Government of the Hong Kong Special Ad-
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1 ministrative Region as committed to protecting the 

2 human rights of the people of Hong Kong or fully 

3 maintaining the rule of law required for human 

4 rights and economic prosperity as long as the Sec5 retary of State continues to determine under section 

6 205(a)(1) of the United States-Hong Kong Policy 

7 Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 5725(a)(1)) that Hong 

8 Kong does not enjoy a high degree of autonomy 

9 from the People’s Republic of China and does not 

10 warrant treatment under the laws of the United 

11 States in the same manner as those laws were ap12 plied to Hong Kong before July 1, 1997; 

13 (2) to recognize that promotion of Hong Kong 

14 as described in paragraph (1) should be considered 

15 propaganda for the efforts of the People’s Republic 

16 of China to dismantle rights and freedom guaran17 teed to the residents of Hong Kong by the Inter18 national Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and 

19 the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984; 

20 (3) to ensure that entities of the United States 

21 Government do not engage in or assist with propa22 ganda of the People’s Republic of China regarding 

23 Hong Kong; and 

24 (4) to engage with the Government of the Hong 

25 Kong Special Administrative Region, through all rel-
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1 evant entities of the United States Government, 

2 seeking the release of political prisoners, the end of 

3 arbitrary detentions, the resumption of a free press 

4 and fair and free elections open to all candidates, 

5 and the restoration of an independent judiciary. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 10, 

2024. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 
118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1103 

AN ACT 

To require the President to remove the extension of 

for other purposes. tonomy from the People’s Republic of China, and Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of authe Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices if certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to