Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Sep 9, 2004
Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2004 - Prohibits FY 2005 U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam in excess of FY 2004 levels unless the President certifies to Congress that the Government of Vietnam has made substantial progress toward: (1) releasing all political and religious prisoners; (2) respecting freedom of religion; (3) allowing Vietnamese nationals access to U.S. refugee programs; and (4) respecting the human rights of members of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands and elsewhere in Vietnam.
Prohibits U.S. post-FY 2005 nonhumanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam in excess of FY 2004 levels unless the President certifies to Congress that the Government of Vietnam has met the above requirements and, in addition, neither any official of the Government of Vietnam nor any of its agencies was complicit in a severe form of trafficking in persons, unless the Government of Vietnam took all appropriate steps to end any such complicity and hold any such official, agency, or entity accountable for such conduct.
Authorizes the President to waive such requirements if increased U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance would promote the purposes of this Act or is otherwise in the U.S. national interest.
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Authorizes the President to provide U.S. assistance through appropriate nongovernmental organizations for the support of individuals and organizations to promote human rights and nonviolent democratic change in Vietnam. Declares it is U.S. policy: (1) to take necessary measures to overcome the jamming of Radio Free Asia by the Government of Vietnam; (2) that educational and cultural exchange programs with Vietnam should promote progress toward freedom and democracy; and (3) to offer refugee resettlement to nationals of Vietnam, including the Montagnard ethnic groups, who were unable to apply or who were incorrectly deemed ineligible for certain refugee programs.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 18, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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