I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7774 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 

the laws administered by the Secretary of Defense relating to the consideration of the human rights records of recipients of certain support, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 21, 2024 

Ms. JACOBS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to make certain 

improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 

of Defense relating to the consideration of the human 

rights records of recipients of certain support, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Upholding Human 

5 Rights Abroad Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CONSIDERATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS RECORDS OF 

2 RECIPIENTS OF CERTAIN SUPPORT. 

3 (a) CONSIDERATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS RECORDS

4 OF RECIPIENTS OF SUPPORT OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS

5 TO COMBAT TERRORISM.—Section 127e of title 10, 

6 United States Code, is amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (c)(2) by adding at the end of 

8 the following new subparagraph— 

9 ‘‘(D) The processes through which the Sec10 retary, in consultation with the Secretary of 

11 State, shall ensure that, prior to a decision to 

12 provide any support to foreign forces, irregular 

13 forces, groups, or individuals, full consideration 

14 is given to any credible information available to 

15 the Department of State relating to violations 

16 of human rights by such entities.’’. 

17 (2) in subsection (d)(2)— 

18 (A) in subparagraph (H), by inserting ‘‘, 

19 including the promotion of good governance and 

20 rule of law and the protection of civilians and 

21 human rights’’ before the period at the end; 

22 (B) in subparagraph (I)— 

23 (i) by striking the period at the end 

24 and inserting ‘‘or violations of the laws of 

25 armed conflict, including the Geneva Con26 ventions of 1949, including—’’; and 


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1 (ii) by adding at the end the following 

2 new clauses: 

3 ‘‘(i) vetting units receiving such sup4 port for violations of human rights; 

5 ‘‘(ii) providing human rights training 

6 to units receiving such support; and 

7 ‘‘(iii) providing for the investigation of 

8 allegations of gross violations of human 

9 rights and termination of such support in 

10 cases of credible information of such viola11 tions.’’; and 

12 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

13 subparagraph: 

14 ‘‘(J) A description of the human rights 

15 record of the recipient, including for purposes 

16 of section 362 of this title, and any relevant at17 tempts by such recipient to remedy such 

18 record.’’; 

19 (3) in subsection (i)(3) by adding at the end the 

20 following new subparagraph: 

21 ‘‘(I) An assessment of how support pro22 vided under this section advances United States 

23 national security priorities and aligns with 

24 other United States Government efforts to ad25 dress underlying risk factors of terrorism and 


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1 violent extremism, including repression, human 

2 rights abuses, and corruption.’’; and 

3 (4) by adding at the end the following new sub4 sections: 

5 ‘‘(j) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS.—(1) Except 

6 as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), no funds may be 

7 used to provide support to any individual member or unit 

8 of a foreign force, irregular force, or group, if the Sec9 retary of Defense has credible information that such indi10 vidual or unit has committed a gross violation of human 

11 rights. 

12 ‘‘(2) The Secretary of Defense, after consultation 

13 with the Secretary of State, may waive the prohibition 

14 under paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that the 

15 waiver is required by extraordinary circumstances. 

16 ‘‘(3) The prohibition under paragraph (1) shall not 

17 apply with respect to the foreign forces, irregular forces, 

18 groups, or individuals of a country if the Secretary of De19 fense determines that— 

20 ‘‘(A) the government of such country has taken 

21 all necessary corrective steps; or 

22 ‘‘(B) the support is necessary to assist in dis23 aster relief operations or other humanitarian or na24 tional security emergencies. 


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1 ‘‘(k) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section shall 

2 be construed to constitute a specific statutory authoriza3 tion for any of the following: 

4 ‘‘(1) The conduct of a covert action, as such 

5 term is defined in section 503(e) of the National Se6 curity Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3093). 

7 ‘‘(2) The introduction of United States Armed 

8 Forces, within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

9 War Powers Resolution, into hostilities or into situa10 tions wherein hostilities are clearly indicated by the 

11 circumstances. 

12 ‘‘(3) The provision of support to regular forces, 

13 irregular forces, groups, or individuals for the con14 duct of operations that United States Special Oper15 ations Forces are not otherwise legally authorized to 

16 conduct themselves. 

17 ‘‘(4) The conduct or support of activities, di18 rectly or indirectly, that are inconsistent with the 

19 laws of armed conflict.’’. 

20 (b) CONSIDERATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS RECORDS

21 OF RECIPIENTS OF SUPPORT OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS

22 FOR IRREGULAR WARFARE.— Section 127d of title 10, 

23 United States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking subpara2 graph (D) and inserting the following new subpara3 graph (D): 

4 ‘‘(D) The processes through which the Sec5 retary shall, in consultation with the Secretary 

6 of State, ensure that prior to a decision to pro7 vide support to individual members or units of 

8 foreign forces, irregular forces, or groups in a 

9 foreign country full consideration is given to 

10 any credible information available to the De11 partment of State relating to gross violations of 

12 human rights by such individuals or units.’’; 

13 (2) in subsection (g)(2) of such section— 

14 (A) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as 

15 subparagraph (G); and 

16 (B) by inserting after subparagraph (E) 

17 the following new subparagraph (F): 

18 ‘‘(F) A description of the human rights 

19 record of the recipient, including for purposes 

20 of section 362 of this title and any relevant at21 tempts by such recipient to remedy such 

22 record.’’; 

23 (3) in subsection (i)(3), by adding at the end 

24 the following new subparagraph: 


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1 ‘‘(I) An assessment of how support pro2 vided under this section advances United States 

3 national security priorities and aligns with 

4 other United States Government interests in 

5 countries in which activities under the authority 

6 in this section are ongoing.’’; 

7 (4) by redesignating subsection (k) as sub8 section (l); and 

9 (5) by inserting after subsection (j) the fol10 lowing new subsection (k): 

11 ‘‘(k) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS.—(1) Except 

12 as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), no funds may be 

13 used to provide support to any individual member or unit 

14 of a foreign force, irregular force, or group in a foreign 

15 country if the Secretary of Defense has credible informa16 tion that such individual or unit has committed a gross 

17 violation of human rights. 

18 ‘‘(2) The Secretary of Defense, after consultation 

19 with the Secretary of State, may waive the prohibition 

20 under paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that the 

21 waiver is required by extraordinary circumstances. 

22 ‘‘(3) The prohibition under paragraph (1) shall not 

23 apply with respect to individual members or units of such 

24 foreign forces, irregular forces, or groups if the Secretary 


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1 of Defense, after consultation with the Secretary of State, 

2 determines that— 

3 ‘‘(A) the government of such country has taken 

4 all necessary corrective steps; or 

5 ‘‘(B) the support is necessary to assist in dis6 aster relief operations or other humanitarian or na7 tional security emergencies.’’. 

Æ 


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