PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.

People's Republic of China Policy Act of 1999

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 19, 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Travel and Activities of Certain Officials Title II: Forced Abortion Title III: Human Rights Title IV: Concessional Loans People's Republic of China Policy Act of 1999 - Title I: Travel and Activities of Certain Officials - Makes ineligible for a visa, and excludes from admission into the United States, any People's Republic of China (PRC) national (other than the head of state, the head of government, and cabinet level ministers) directly involved in repressive religious policies and practices. Title II: Forced Abortion - Forced Abortion Condemnation Act - Prohibits the Secretary of State from issuing any visa to, and the Attorney General from admitting to the United States, any Chinese national (including any Communist Party official or Chinese Government official) that has been found to have been involved in the enforcement of population control policies resulting in a woman being forced to undergo an abortion against her free choice, or resulting in a man or woman being forced to undergo sterilization against his or her free choice. Title III: Human Rights - Political Freedom in China Act of 1999 - Urges the Secretary, in all official meetings with the Government of the PRC, to: (1) request the immediate and unconditional release of Ngodrup Phuntsog and other prisoners of conscience in Tibet, as well as in the PRC; and (2) call on such government to begin serious discussions with the Dalai Lama, without preconditions, on the future of Tibet. (Sec. 304) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 and 2001 to support personnel in the U.S. Embassies in Beijing and Kathmandu, as well as the American consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Chengdu, and Hong Kong, in order to monitor political repression in the PRC. (Sec. 305) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 and 2001 for the National Endowment for Democracy to promote democracy, civil society, and the development of the rule of law in China. Directs the Secretary to use funds available in the East Asia- Pacific Regional Democracy Fund to provide grants to nongovernmental organizations to promote democracy, civil society, and the development of the rule of law in China. (Sec. 306) Directs the Secretary to annually report to specified congressional committees on human rights matters in China, including information on religious persecution, the development of democratic institutions, and the rule of law there. Directs the Secretary to establish the Prisoner Information Registry for China which shall provide information on all political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, and prisoners of faith there. (Sec. 307) Expresses the sense of the Congress that it, the President, and the Secretary should work with the governments of other countries to establish a Commission on Security and Cooperation in Asia which would be modeled after the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. (Sec. 308) Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Hong Kong people should continue to have the right and ability to freely elect their legislative representatives. (Sec. 309) Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should stop the harvesting and transplanting of organs for profit from prisoners whom it executes and should be strongly condemned for such practice; (2) the President should bar from entry into the United States all officials of such Government known to be directly involved; (3) individuals determined to be participating in or otherwise facilitating the sale of such organs in the United States should be prosecuted; and (4) appropriate U.S. officials should interview individuals who may have knowledge of such practice. Title IV: Concessional Loans - Communist China Subsidy Reduction Act of 1999 - Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors at each international financial institution to vote to oppose the provision of concessional loans (with highly subsidized interest rates, grace periods for repayment of five years or more, and maturities of 20 years or more) to China, any Chinese citizen or national, or any Chinese entity. (Sec. 404) Expresses the sense of the Congress that U.S. nationals conducting industrial cooperation projects in China should adhere to certain principles, including: (1) suspending the use of any merchandise that they have reason to believe was produced by convict or forced labor, and refusing to use forced labor in their projects; (2) seeking to ensure that political or religious views, sex, ethnic or national background, or association with dissidents will not prohibit hiring, lead to harassment, demotion, or dismissal, or otherwise affect the employment status of an individual employed in the industrial cooperation project; (3) ensuring that methods of production used in the projects do not pose unnecessary danger to workers and the surrounding neighborhoods and environment; (4) striving to establish private business enterprises when involved in a project with the Government of China; (5) discouraging any military presence on the premises of the project; (6) promoting freedom of association and assembly among employees; (7) providing the Department of State with information relevant to its efforts to collect information on prisoners for purposes of the Prisoner Information Registry; (8) discouraging or preventing compulsory political indoctrination programs from taking place on project premises; (9) promoting freedom of expression of all kinds; and (10) preventing harassment of workers who decide freely the number and spacing of their children, and prohibiting compulsory population control activities on the premises of the project. Directs the Secretary of State to forward a copy of these principles to the member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and encourage them to promote similar principles. Directs each U.S. national conducting an industrial cooperation project in China to register with the Secretary and indicate whether they agree to implement such principles. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to give preference to U.S. nationals who have adopted such principles when selecting participants for trade missions to China. (Sec. 405) Directs U.S. agencies that engage in educational, cultural, scientific, agricultural, military, legal, political, and artistic exchanges to initiate and expand such exchange programs with regard to China. Expresses the sense of the Congress that a federally chartered not-for-profit organization should be established to fund exchanges between the United States and China through private donations. Title V: Radio Free Asia - Amends the United states International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to repeal grant amount and grant use limitations with respect to Radio Free Asia. Repeals sunset provisions with respect to the grant authority of Radio Free Asia. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 and 2001 for Radio Free Asia.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Sen. Hutchinson, Tim [R-AR] · R–AR

Committees

  • Foreign Relations Committee
5 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

  2. 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

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Aug 20, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.89 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.89 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.89 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.89 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources