Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H3851: Resolutions condemning political oppression and encouraging free and fair elections in Cambodia
Status: In committee, March 23, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
WHEREAS free and fair elections are a vital component of a democratic state in the protection of the liberty and human rights of its citizenship; and WHEREAS the Paris Peace Accords of 1991, signed by the United States and 19 other nations, sought to resolve political conflict and turmoil in Cambodia by setting forth the right to self-determination of its people through free and fair elections; and WHEREAS significant expenditures in the form of international aid have been made in order to promote a pluralistic, multi-party democratic system in Cambodia; and WHEREAS Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power in Cambodia since 1985 and has been using his absolute power to consolidate authority over the nation’s government, granting control of every state agency and security apparatus including the country's Supreme Court to the ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP); and WHEREAS each of the five elections held in Cambodia for the office of Prime Minister since 1991 have been marked by fraud, voter intimidation, and the misuse of legal mechanisms by the government to suppress support for opposition candidates and parties, and have thereby not been free nor fair; and WHEREAS the government of Cambodia has engaged in oppressive tactics aimed at limiting conditions that are intrinsic to a democratic state including the restriction of its media environment by ordering …
Sponsors
- Vanna Howard (D, 17th Middlesex) · primary sponsor
- Kennedy, Edward J. (D, First Middlesex)
- Shirley Arriaga (D)
- Rodney Elliott (D)
- Homar Gómez (D)
- Tara Hong (D)
Latest actions
- : Placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (under the last sentence of Rule 7A), the question being on adoption
- : Resolutions reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
- : Hearing rescheduled to 11/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-03:50 PM in B-1 and Virtual<br> <span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">Hearing updated to New End Time</span>
- : Hearing scheduled for 11/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs (February 11, 2026): 10 yea, 1 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H3851?
- H3851 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): Resolutions condemning political oppression and encouraging free and fair elections in Cambodia.
- What is the status of H3851?
- In committee as of March 23, 2026. Latest action: Placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (under the last sentence of Rule 7A), the question being on adoption (March 23, 2026).
- Who sponsored H3851?
- Vanna Howard (D, 17th Middlesex), with 5 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H3851?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3851
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.