On Sept. 10, the House of Representatives passed the H.K.E.T.O. Certification Act (H.R. 1103) by a 413-3 vote. It is the first Hong Kong-related bill to gain significant momentum since the enactment of the city’s draconian National Security Law. The legislation is now sent to the Senate.

If passed and signed by the president in its current form, the H.K.E.T.O. Certification Act would require the secretary of state to review the H.K.E.T.O.s’ status within 30 days and annually thereafter, with the option to force the H.K.E.T.O.s to close within 180 days. In the event that the Secretary of State decided to keep the H.K.E.T.O.s in the United States, the legislation would allow Congress to challenge such a determination through a disapproval resolution.