{"format":1,"id":"118-hr-1151","congress":118,"number":"H.R. 1151","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Upholding Sovereignty of Airspace Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To hold the People's Republic of China accountable for the violation of United States airspace and sovereignty with its high-altitude surveillance balloon.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To hold the People's Republic of China accountable for the violation of United States airspace and sovereignty with its high-altitude surveillance balloon."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"USA Act"},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"USA Act"},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Upholding Sovereignty of Airspace Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Upholding Sovereignty of Airspace Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"USA Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Upholding Sovereignty of Airspace Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"USA Act"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2023-02-24","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2023-04-17","vote":{"id":"118-2023-h183","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Upholding Sovereignty of Airspace Act","result":"Passed","yea":405,"nay":6,"present":0,"not_voting":23,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll183.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.","date":"2023-04-18"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2023-04-17","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Upholding Sovereignty of Airspace Act or the USA Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill requires and authorizes actions in response to the Chinese government's global surveillance program, including the Chinese government's use of surveillance balloons."},{"k":"p","t":"The President may impose property- and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign individuals that directly manage or oversee the Chinese government's global surveillance balloon program."},{"k":"p","t":"In addition, the Department of Commerce must report to Congress an evaluation of what export controls are appropriate for aerospace-related items and technologies that are used for intelligence and reconnaissance by China's military."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill also requires the Department of State to report to Congress a diplomatic strategy to (1) inform U.S. allies and partners of the scope of the Chinese government's surveillance program, and (2) build a global consensus to address the Chinese government's global surveillance balloon program."}],"words":134},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Directs the Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce to prepare strategy and evaluation reports on the People's Republic of China's surveillance balloon program, and authorizes the President to impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on individuals who directly manage and oversee it.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#HF3E02603144F498A880E6D118745E7DB"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#H80D67B034818485AA89EB6EB83F684B6"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#HE7C45CB71BF24FCBB5F00C4BC71DD321"}]},"core_areas":["Diplomatic strategy on the PRC's global surveillance balloon program","Export control evaluation for aerospace items used by the People's Liberation Army","Sanctions authority over individuals managing the PRC's surveillance balloon program"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, to develop a diplomatic strategy to inform allies and partners of the scope of the PRC surveillance program and build global consensus to address it.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#HF3E02603144F498A880E6D118745E7DB"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary of State to submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than 180 days after enactment, that outlines the strategy and describes the steps taken by the United States in line with it.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#HF3E02603144F498A880E6D118745E7DB"}},{"text":"Requires relevant Department of Defense officials to give the appropriate congressional committees a classified briefing, not later than 180 days after enactment, on other Unidentified Flying Objects that entered United States airspace from January 20, 2017 to the date of enactment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#HF3E02603144F498A880E6D118745E7DB"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Commerce to evaluate export, reexport and in-country transfer controls under the Export Administration Regulations for aerospace items, including airships and balloons, used by the People's Liberation Army for intelligence and reconnaissance.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#H80D67B034818485AA89EB6EB83F684B6"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Commerce to report to the appropriate committees within 180 days of enactment, describing the items and technologies evaluated and listing the controls BIS has implemented or plans to implement.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#H80D67B034818485AA89EB6EB83F684B6"}},{"text":"Allows the President, beginning 180 days after enactment, to impose property blocking and visa inadmissibility and revocation on any PRC individual the President determines is directly managing and overseeing the PRC's global surveillance balloon program.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#HE7C45CB71BF24FCBB5F00C4BC71DD321"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"off_subject","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#HF3E02603144F498A880E6D118745E7DB"},"heading":"International coordination and pressure","effect":"Subsection (c) requires Department of Defense officials to give the appropriate congressional committees a classified briefing, within 180 days of enactment, on other Unidentified Flying Objects that entered U.S. airspace from January 20, 2017 to enactment.","amount":null,"quote":"a classified briefing on other Unidentified Flying Objects that have entered United States airspace beginning on January 20, 2017"}]},{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh#HE7C45CB71BF24FCBB5F00C4BC71DD321"},"heading":"Imposition of sanctions","effect":"The sanctions authority carves out three things: authorized U.S. intelligence, law enforcement, and national security activities; admissions of aliens needed to meet the UN Headquarters Agreement and other international obligations; and sanctions on the importation of goods.","amount":null,"quote":"Sanctions under this section shall not apply to any authorized intelligence, law enforcement, or national security activities of the United States."}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2023-04-17","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-02","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1151/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/118-hr-1151.png","v":"762a2ff6a1c9","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 1151, 118th Congress: Upholding Sovereignty of Airspace Act. House: 405 Yea, 6 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 17 Apr 2023."}}