# 116-hr-8438: Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020

116-hr-8438, Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ); status Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8438
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-8438
- Congress: 116
- Title: Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020
- Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Introduced: 2020-09-29
- Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ)
- Cosponsors: 15
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020 This bill expands the President's authority to impose sanctions related to Belarus to include activities surrounding the disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election and subsequent government crackdown. The bill also expands authorized assistance to Belarus. The President may impose visa-blocking sanctions on any alien who (1) is a member of the Central Election Commission of Belarus or assisted in the manipulation of the August 9, 2020, presidential election, (2) is a government official responsible for the crackdown on independent media, (3) is an official of the Union State (an international organization consisting of Belarus and Russia), or (4) is a Russian individual who has significantly participated in the crackdown on the press or human rights abuses related to political repression in Belarus. (The President already has authority to impose such sanctions on certain aliens, such as senior leaders in the government of Belarus.) The bill also expands authorized assistance related to Belarus to include assistance to (1) counter internet censorship and surveillance technology, (2) support the work of women advocating for freedom and human rights, and (3) support political refugees fleeing the crackdown in Belarus.

## Cosponsors (15)

- ELIOT ENGEL (D-NY), 2020-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] (R-TX), 2020-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9] (D-OH), 2020-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kinzinger, Adam [R-IL-16] (R-IL), 2020-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] (D-MA), 2020-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2020-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2020-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (D-RI), 2020-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2020-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2020-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32] (D-CA), 2020-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Phillips, Dean [D-MN-3] (D-MN), 2020-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2020-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (D-CA), 2020-11-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kind, Ron [D-WI-3] (D-WI), 2020-11-18T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-7092: Great American Outdoors Act
- 116-hr-2382: USPS Fairness Act
- 116-hr-1773: Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019
- 116-hr-1570: Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2020
- 116-hr-748: CARES Act
- 116-hr-724: PACT Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-8438 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8438)

## Related
- [116-hr-7092: Great American Outdoors Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7092)
- [116-hr-2382: USPS Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2382)
- [116-hr-1773: Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-1773)
- [116-hr-1570: Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-1570)
- [116-hr-748: CARES Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-748)
- [116-hr-724: PACT Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-724)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8438 (as of 2025-11-18).