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Human Rights Information Act

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Sep 25, 1997

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.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT] · D–CT

Committees

  • Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
21 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

  2. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9970-9971)

  3. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Aug 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Individual rights and government power

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