Responding to the promulgation of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, under Article 23 of the Basic Law, by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on March 19, 2024.

This resolution (HRES 1277) expresses the U.S. House of Representatives' condemnation of Hong Kong's newly passed Article 23 national security law, enacted on March 19, 2024. It calls on Hong Kong authorities to revise the law to align with international human rights standards, refrain from abusing it to silence critics, and release political prisoners. The resolution also urges the U.S. President to consider targeted sanctions against officials involved in undermining Hong Kong's freedoms under existing law (the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act). It emphasizes that Hong Kong's laws do not apply outside China and encourages international support for Hong Kong's democratic values. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new legal obligations but formally states U.S. opposition to the legislation.