I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1134 

To provide for the establishment of a global affairs strategy and assistance 

for people of African descent, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 18, 2021 

Mr. HASTINGS (for himself, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. 

COHEN, Mr. MEEKS, and Mr. RUSH) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of a global affairs strategy 

and assistance for people of African descent, 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 ‘‘African Descent Af5 fairs Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The struggle to end discrimination against 

9 people of African descent is a global challenge, and 


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1 one that is central to the United States commitment 

2 to human rights. 

3 (2) Targeted exclusion, violence, and discrimi4 nation against people of African descent continues 

5 around the world. 

6 (3) Issues range from the fight for ancestral 

7 lands in Latin America, hate crimes resulting in in8 jury and death in Europe, to profiling and excessive 

9 use of force by law enforcement in the United States 

10 and abroad, and continuing global disparities in 

11 health, education, employment, housing, and other 

12 sectors. 

13 (4) It is imperative that the world actively ad14 dress the vestiges of slavery and colonialism that 

15 have long hindered racial equality and justice and 

16 prevented the recognition of the important contribu17 tions of people of African descent to the world. 

18 (5) The International Decade for People of Af19 rican Descent, from January 1, 2015, to December 

20 31, 2025, offers an opportunity to address these 

21 issues domestically and globally through coordinated 

22 government and civil society strategies, that include 

23 the private sector. 


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1 SEC. 3. ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. 

2 (a) OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFRICAN DESCENT AF3 FAIRS.—Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities 

4 Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a et seq.) is amended by add5 ing at the end the following new section: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 64. OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFRICAN DESCENT AFFAIRS. 

7 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.—Not later than 

8 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, the 

9 Secretary of State shall establish within the Department 

10 of State an Office of Global African Descent Affairs (in 

11 this section referred to as the ‘Office’) in the offices of 

12 the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. 

13 ‘‘(b) HEAD OF OFFICE.— 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The head of the Office 

15 shall be the Director and Special Envoy to the Sec16 retary on Global African Descent Affairs (in this 

17 section referred to as the ‘Special Envoy’). 

18 ‘‘(2) APPOINTMENT.—The Special Envoy shall 

19 be an expert on issues of African Descent Affairs 

20 and be appointed by the Secretary. 

21 ‘‘(c) OTHER PERSONNEL.—The Office shall be sup22 ported by at least two senior Foreign Service officers and 

23 two Civil Service officers. 

24 ‘‘(d) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Office shall 

25 include the following: 


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1 ‘‘(1) Advise the Secretary and direct activities, 

2 policies, programs, and funding relating to the 

3 human rights and the advancement of people of Af4 rican descent internationally, for all bureaus and of5 fices of the Department of State and shall lead the 

6 coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of relevant 

7 international programs for all other Federal agen8 cies. 

9 ‘‘(2) Represent the United States in diplomatic 

10 matters relevant to the human rights of people of 

11 African descent in contacts with foreign govern12 ments, intergovernmental organizations, and special13 ized agencies of the United Nations, the Organiza14 tion for American States, the Organization for Secu15 rity and Cooperation in Europe, other international 

16 organizations of which the United States is a mem17 ber, and relevant multilateral conferences and meet18 ings. 

19 ‘‘(3) Lead efforts to promote an international 

20 focus on racial equality more broadly, including 

21 through diplomatic initiatives with other countries 

22 and partnerships and regular and enhanced coordi23 nation with international and nongovernmental orga24 nizations and the private sector. 


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1 ‘‘(4) Develop and manage the Fund for African 

2 Descent Affairs, established under section 3(c) of 

3 the African Descent Affairs Act of 2021, for the 

4 purpose of investing in efficient and innovative solu5 tions to combat racial discrimination and create eco6 nomic and other opportunities for people of African 

7 descent internationally. 

8 ‘‘(5) Develop a uniform set of indicators and 

9 standards for monitoring and evaluating foreign pol10 icy assistance for people of African descent in Fed11 eral agencies. 

12 ‘‘(6) Direct, as appropriate, United States Gov13 ernment resources to respond to needs for protec14 tion, integration, resettlement, and empowerment of 

15 people of African descent in United States Govern16 ment policies and international programs, including 

17 to prevent and respond to discrimination and vio18 lence against people of African descent internation19 ally. 

20 ‘‘(7) Develop and coordinate United States Gov21 ernment international efforts related to the imple22 mentation of the International Decade for People of 

23 African Descent and submit annual reports to Con24 gress on these efforts. 


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1 ‘‘(8) Work in collaboration with the front of2 fices of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy 

3 and Public Affairs and the Under Secretary of Civil4 ian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, and in 

5 consultation with the Race, Ethnicity, and Social In6 clusion Unit in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere 

7 Affairs, and the Bureau of African Affairs. 

8 ‘‘(9) Compile an annual report on activities of 

9 the United States Government relating to people of 

10 African descent to fulfill the requirements of this 

11 section and the African Descent Affairs Act of 2021. 

12 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 ‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT14 TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com15 mittees’ means— 

16 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

17 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

18 Senate; 

19 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

20 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

21 House of Representatives; and 

22 ‘‘(C) the Commission on Security and Co23 operation in Europe. 

24 ‘‘(2) PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT.—The 

25 term ‘people of African descent’ has the meaning 


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1 given the term in section 5 of the African Descent 

2 Affairs Act of 2021.’’. 

3 (b) ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Foreign Assistance Act 

5 of 1961 is amended— 

6 (A) in section 116 (22 U.S.C. 2151n), by 

7 adding at the end the following new subsection: 

8 ‘‘(h) STATUS OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT.— 

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The report required under 

10 subsection (d) shall include, for countries outside of 

11 sub-Saharan Africa, a description of the status of 

12 people of African descent in each such country. 

13 ‘‘(2) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 

14 ‘people of African descent’ has the meaning given 

15 the term in section 5 of the African Descent Affairs 

16 Act of 2021.’’; and 

17 (B) in section 502B (22 U.S.C. 2304)— 

18 (i) by redesignating the second sub19 section (i) (as added by section 1207(b)(2) 

20 of Public Law 113–4) as subsection (j); 

21 and 

22 (ii) by adding at the end the following 

23 new subsection: 

24 ‘‘(k) STATUS OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The report required under 

2 subsection (b) shall include, for countries outside of 

3 sub-Saharan Africa, a description of the status of 

4 people of African descent in each such country. 

5 ‘‘(2) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 

6 ‘people of African descent’ has the meaning given 

7 the term in section 5 of the African Descent Affairs 

8 Act of 2021.’’. 

9 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

10 by this subsection take effect on the date of the en11 actment of this Act and apply with respect to re12 ports required to be submitted under sections 116 

13 and 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as 

14 amended by this subsection, on or after such date of 

15 enactment. 

16 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

18 appropriated to the Secretary of State $5,000,000 

19 for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2030 to 

20 carry out this section and the amendments made by 

21 this section. 

22 (2) PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS.—Notwithstand23 ing any other provision of law, the Secretary of 

24 State is authorized to accept private contributions to 


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1 carry out this section and the amendments made by 

2 this section. 

3 (3) DESIGNATION.—Amounts appropriated pur4 suant to the authorization of appropriations under 

5 paragraph (1) and private contributions accepted 

6 under paragraph (2) may be referred to as the 

7 ‘‘Fund for African Descent Affairs’’. 

8 SEC. 4. ACTIVITIES OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR 

9 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. 

10 (a) SENIOR ADVISOR.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

12 United States Agency for International Development 

13 shall appoint within the immediate office of the Ad14 ministrator a Senior Advisor to the Administrator on 

15 Global African Descent Affairs (in this section re16 ferred to as the ‘‘Senior Advisor’’). 

17 (2) APPOINTMENT.—The Senior Advisor shall 

18 be appointed by the Administrator. 

19 (b) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Senior Advi20 sor shall include the following: 

21 (1) Advise the Administrator and direct and co22 ordinate activities, policies, programs, and funding 

23 relating to the human rights and advancement of 

24 people of African descent internationally for all bu25 reaus and offices of the Agency. 


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1 (2) Develop a racial and ethnic equality and 

2 empowerment policy, strategy, and action plan for 

3 the Agency, in consultation with civil society, that 

4 includes a focus on people of African descent. 

5 (3) Serve as the Agency liaison to the Depart6 ment of State’s Office of Global African Descent Af7 fairs. 

8 (4) Develop a uniform set of indicators and 

9 standards for monitoring and evaluating foreign as10 sistance for people of African descent in Federal 

11 agencies. 

12 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

13 authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 

14 $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 

15 2030 to carry out this section. 

16 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act: 

18 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT19 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com20 mittees’’ means— 

21 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

22 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

23 Senate; 


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1 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

2 the Committee on Appropriations of the House 

3 of Representatives; and 

4 (C) the Commission on Security and Co5 operation in Europe. 

6 (2) PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT.—The term 

7 ‘‘people of African descent’’ means persons of Afri8 can origin who reside outside of sub-Saharan Africa. 

9 SEC. 6. BRIEFINGS AND ASSESSMENTS. 

10 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact11 ment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Director 

12 and Special Envoy to the Secretary on Global African De13 scent Affairs (appointed under section 64 of the State De14 partment Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (as added by sec15 tion 3 of this Act))— 

16 (1) shall brief the appropriate congressional 

17 committees on the status of the human rights, social 

18 inclusion, equality, and empowerment of people of 

19 African descent internationally, as well as the status 

20 of programs and response strategies to address dis21 crimination and violence against people of African 

22 descent internationally; and 

23 (2) shall submit to the appropriate congres24 sional committees an assessment of human and fi25 nancial resources necessary to fulfill the purposes 


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1 and duties of this Act and the amendments made by 

2 this Act. 

3 SEC. 7. UNITED STATES POLICY TO PREVENT AND RE4 SPOND TO DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE 

5 AGAINST PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT. 

6 (a) GLOBAL STRATEGY REQUIREMENT.—Not later 

7 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

8 and annually thereafter for 10 years, the Director and 

9 Special Envoy to the Secretary on Global African Descent 

10 Affairs shall develop or update a United States global 

11 strategy to empower, prevent, and respond to discrimina12 tion and violence against people of African descent. The 

13 strategy shall be transmitted to the appropriate congres14 sional committees and, if practicable, made available to 

15 the public. 

16 (b) COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION.—In devel17 oping the strategy under subsection (a), the Director and 

18 Special Envoy to the Secretary on Global African Descent 

19 Affairs shall consult with— 

20 (1) the heads of relevant Federal agencies; and 

21 (2) representatives of civil society, multilateral, 

22 and private sector organizations. 


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1 SEC. 8. SUNSET. 

2 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 

3 terminate on October 1, 2031. 

Æ 


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