Thomas J. Geary U.S. House of Representatives Known for Extending the Chinese Exclusion Act Geary was from California. He wrote and sponsored the Geary Act, a U.S. law passed by Congress on May 5, 1892, that extended the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. It added onerous new requirements, such as requiring every Chinese resident of the United States to carry a resident permit at all times. Failure to carry the permit was punishable by deportation or a year of hard labor. In addition, Chinese citizens were not allowed to bear witness in court, and could not receive bail in habeas corpus proceedings. Front marked C.M. Bee, Washington, S.C.