Human Rights Information Act

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

8 October 1997

Last action

28 September 1998 · Committee

Status

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Sponsors

Rep. Lantos, Tom [D-CA-12], Rep. Morella, Constance A. [R-MD-8], Rep. Lewis, John [D-GA-5], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8], Rep. Sabo, Martin Olav [D-MN-5], Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY-15], Rep. Furse, Elizabeth [D-OR-1], Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT], Rep. Meehan, Martin T. [D-MA-5], Rep. Porter, John Edward [R-IL-10], Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH], Rep. Brown, George E., Jr. [D-CA-42], Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12], Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4], Rep. Blagojevich, Rod R. [D-IL-5], Rep. Olver, John W. [D-MA-1], Rep. Yates, Sidney R. [D-IL-9], Rep. Sanchez, Loretta [D-CA-46], Rep. Woolsey, Lynn C. [D-CA-6], Rep. Dellums, Ronald V. [D-CA-9], Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15], Rep. Bonior, David E. [D-MI-10], Rep. Torres, Esteban Edward [D-CA-34], Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4], Sen. Talent, Jim [R-MO], Rep. Lowey, Nita M. [D-NY-17], Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18], Rep. Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [D-NY-25], Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40], Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Farr, Sam [D-CA-20], Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7], Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32], Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16], Rep. Costello, Jerry F. [D-IL-12], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Pelosi, Nancy [D-CA-11], Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD], Rep. Bentsen, Ken [D-TX-25], Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22], Rep. McNulty, Michael R. [D-NY-23], Rep. Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [D-MI-13], Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9], Rep. Rivers, Lynn N. [D-MI-13], Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18], Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4], Rep. Shays, Christopher [R-CT-4]

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

23 March 2026

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Summary

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.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

8 October 1997
Introduced
Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.
Source: IntroReferral
8 October 1997
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
8 October 1997
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
9 October 1997
Introduced
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1983-1984)
Source: IntroReferral
14 October 1997
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology.
Source: Committee
11 May 1998
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
28 September 1998
Committee
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Source: Committee
28 September 1998
Committee
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Introduced in House · 8 October 1997 · Download file

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in House (text)

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Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 8 October 1997
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Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 8 October 1997
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Introduced in House
summary · EN · 8 October 1997
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Related records

related to ← Human Rights Information Act

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/house-bill/2635
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/105/hr/2635
us · 105-hr-2635 · source updated 23 March 2026