I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3485 

To impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violations of internationally recognized human rights against lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) individuals, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2021 

Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. COOPER, Mr. 

PETERS, Mr. KILMER, Ms. BASS, Mr. WELCH, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. LOIS

FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. COSTA, Ms. 

GARCIA of Texas, Mr. MALINOWSKI, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. WASSERMAN

SCHULTZ, Mr. POCAN, Mr. CASE, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Ms. 

NORTON, Ms. TLAIB, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. OMAR, Ms. TITUS, 

Mr. TONKO, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. EVANS, Mr. SOTO, Ms. 

MANNING, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. SWALWELL, Ms. MENG, Ms. DEAN, Mr. 

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Mr. CARSON, 

Mr. KHANNA, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mrs. LURIA, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr. 

PAPPAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 

case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 

the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violations of internationally recognized human rights against 

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex 

(LGBTQI) individuals, and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Global Respect Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The dignity, freedom, and equality of all 

8 human beings are fundamental to a thriving global 

9 community. 

10 (2) The rights to life, liberty, and security of 

11 the person, the right to privacy, and the right to 

12 freedom of expression and association are funda13 mental human rights. 

14 (3) An alarming trend of violence directed at 

15 LGBTQI individuals around the world continues. 

16 (4) Approximately one-third of all countries 

17 have laws criminalizing consensual same-sex rela18 tions, and many have enacted policies or laws that 

19 would further target LGBTQI individuals. 

20 (5) Every year thousands of individuals around 

21 the world are targeted for harassment, attack, ar22 rest, and murder on the basis of their sexual ori23 entation or gender identity. 


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1 (6) Those who commit crimes against LGBTQI 

2 individuals often do so with impunity, and are not 

3 held accountable for their crimes. 

4 (7) Homophobic and transphobic statements by 

5 government officials in many countries in every re6 gion of the world promote negative public attitudes 

7 and can lead to violence toward LGBTQI individ8 uals. 

9 (8) In many instances police, prison, military, 

10 and civilian government authorities have been di11 rectly complicit in abuses aimed at LGBTQI citi12 zens, including arbitrary arrest, torture, and sexual 

13 abuse. 

14 (9) Celebrations of LGBTQI individuals and 

15 communities, such as film festivals, Pride events, 

16 and demonstrations are often forced underground 

17 due to inaction on the part of, or harassment by, 

18 local law enforcement and government officials, in 

19 violation of freedoms of assembly and expression. 

20 (10) Laws criminalizing consensual same-sex 

21 relations severely hinder access to HIV/AIDS treat22 ment, information, and preventive measures for 

23 LGBTQI individuals and families. 


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1 (11) Many countries are making positive devel2 opments in the protection of the basic human rights 

3 of LGBTQI individuals. 

4 SEC. 3. SANCTIONS ON INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR 

5 VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AGAINST 

6 LGBTQI PEOPLE. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act and biannually there9 after, the President shall transmit to the appropriate con10 gressional committees a list of each foreign person the 

11 President determines, based on credible information, in12 cluding information obtained by other countries or by non13 governmental organizations that monitor violations of 

14 human rights— 

15 (1) is responsible for or complicit in, with re16 spect to persons based on actual or perceived sexual 

17 orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics— 

18 (A) cruel, inhuman, or degrading treat19 ment or punishment; 

20 (B) prolonged detention without charges 

21 and trial; 

22 (C) causing the disappearance of such per23 sons by the abduction and clandestine detention 

24 of such persons; or 


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1 (D) other flagrant denial of the right to 

2 life, liberty, or the security of such persons; 

3 (2) acted as an agent of or on behalf of a for4 eign person in a matter relating to an activity de5 scribed in paragraph (1); or 

6 (3) is responsible for or complicit in inciting a 

7 foreign person to engage in an activity described in 

8 paragraph (1). 

9 (b) FORM; UPDATES; REMOVAL.— 

10 (1) FORM.—The list required by subsection (a) 

11 shall be transmitted in unclassified form and pub12 lished in the Federal Register without regard to the 

13 requirements of section 222(f) of the Immigration 

14 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1202(f)) with respect 

15 to confidentiality of records pertaining to the 

16 issuance or refusal of visas or permits to enter the 

17 United States, except that the President may include 

18 a foreign person in a classified, unpublished annex 

19 to such list if the President— 

20 (A) determines that— 

21 (i) it is vital for the national security 

22 interests of the United States to do so; and 

23 (ii) the use of such annex, and the in24 clusion of such person in such annex, 

25 would not undermine the overall purpose of 


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1 this section to publicly identify foreign per2 sons engaging in the conduct described in 

3 subsection (a) in order to increase account4 ability for such conduct; and 

5 (B) not later than 15 days before including 

6 such person in a classified annex, provides to 

7 the appropriate congressional committees notice 

8 of, and a justification for, including or con9 tinuing to include each foreign person in such 

10 annex despite the existence of any publicly 

11 available credible information indicating that 

12 each such foreign person engaged in an activity 

13 described in subsection (a). 

14 (2) UPDATES.—The President shall transmit to 

15 the appropriate congressional committees an update 

16 of the list required by subsection (a) as new infor17 mation becomes available. 

18 (3) REMOVAL.—A foreign person may be re19 moved from the list required by subsection (a) if the 

20 President determines and reports to the appropriate 

21 congressional committees not later than 15 days be22 fore the removal of such person from such list 

23 that— 


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1 (A) credible information exists that such 

2 person did not engage in the activity for which 

3 the person was included in such list; 

4 (B) such person has been prosecuted ap5 propriately for the activity in which such person 

6 engaged; or 

7 (C) such person has credibly demonstrated 

8 a significant change in behavior, has paid an 

9 appropriate consequence for the activities in 

10 which such person engaged, and has credibly 

11 committed to not engage in an activity de12 scribed in subsection (a). 

13 (c) PUBLIC SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION.—The 

14 President shall issue public guidance, including through 

15 United States diplomatic and consular posts, setting forth 

16 the manner by which the names of foreign persons that 

17 may meet the criteria to be included on the list required 

18 by subsection (a) may be submitted to the Department 

19 of State for evaluation. 

20 (d) REQUESTS FROM CHAIR AND RANKING MEMBER

21 OF APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

22 (1) CONSIDERATION OF INFORMATION.—In ad23 dition to the guidance issued pursuant to subsection 

24 (c), the President shall also consider information 

25 provided by the Chair or Ranking Member of each 


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1 of the appropriate congressional committees in de2 termining whether to include a foreign person in the 

3 list required by subsection (a). 

4 (2) REQUESTS.—Not later than 120 days after 

5 receiving a written request from the Chair or Rank6 ing Member of one of the appropriate congressional 

7 committees with respect to whether a foreign person 

8 meets the criteria for being included in the list re9 quired by subsection (a), the President shall trans10 mit a response to such Chair or Ranking Member, 

11 as the case may be, with respect to the President’s 

12 determination relating to such foreign person. 

13 (3) REMOVAL.—If the President removes from 

14 the list required by subsection (a) a foreign person 

15 that had been included in such list pursuant to a re16 quest under paragraph (2), the President shall pro17 vide to the relevant Chair or Ranking Member of 

18 one of the appropriate congressional committees any 

19 information that contributed to such decision. 

20 (4) FORM.—The President may transmit a re21 sponse required by paragraph (2) or paragraph (3) 

22 in classified form if the President determines that it 

23 is necessary for the national security interests of the 

24 United States to do so. 

25 (e) INADMISSIBILITY OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.— 


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1 (1) INELIGIBILITY FOR VISAS AND ADMISSION

2 TO THE UNITED STATES.—A foreign person on the 

3 list required by subsection (a), and each immediate 

4 family member of such person, is— 

5 (A) inadmissible to the United States; 

6 (B) ineligible to receive a visa or other doc7 umentation to enter the United States; and 

8 (C) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or 

9 paroled into the United States or to receive any 

10 other benefit under the Immigration and Na11 tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.). 

12 (2) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.— 

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—The issuing consular 

14 officer or the Secretary of State, (or a designee 

15 of the Secretary of State) shall, in accordance 

16 with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Na17 tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any 

18 visa or other entry documentation issued to a 

19 foreign person on the list required by subsection 

20 (a) and to each immediate family member of 

21 such person regardless of when the visa or 

22 other entry documentation is issued. 

23 (B) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—A revoca24 tion under subparagraph (A) shall— 

25 (i) take effect immediately; and 


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1 (ii) automatically cancel any other 

2 valid visa or entry documentation that is in 

3 the foreign person’s possession. 

4 (C) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later 

5 than 180 days after the date of the enactment 

6 of this Act, the Secretary of State shall pre7 scribe such regulations as are necessary to 

8 carry out this subsection. 

9 (3) SENSE OF CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO

10 ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS.—It is the sense of Con11 gress that the President should impose additional 

12 targeted sanctions with respect to foreign persons on 

13 the list required by subsection (a) to push for ac14 countability for flagrant denials of the right to life, 

15 liberty, or the security of the person, through the 

16 use of designations and targeted sanctions provided 

17 for such conduct under other existing authorities. 

18 (4) WAIVERS IN THE INTEREST OF NATIONAL

19 SECURITY.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—The President may 

21 waive the application of paragraph (1) or (2) 

22 with respect to a foreign person included in the 

23 list required by subsection (a) if the President 

24 determines and transmits to the appropriate 


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1 congressional committees notice and justifica2 tion, that such a waiver— 

3 (i) is necessary to permit the United 

4 States to comply with the Agreement be5 tween the United Nations and the United 

6 States of America regarding the Head7 quarters of the United Nations, signed 

8 June 26, 1947, and entered into force No9 vember 21, 1947, or other applicable inter10 national obligations of the United States; 

11 or 

12 (ii) is in the national security interests 

13 of the United States. 

14 (B) TIMING OF CERTAIN WAIVERS.—A 

15 waiver pursuant to a determination under 

16 clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) shall be trans17 mitted not later than 15 days before the grant18 ing of such waiver. 

19 (f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than one year 

20 after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually 

21 thereafter, the President, acting through the Secretary of 

22 State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional com23 mittees a report on— 

24 (1) the actions taken to carry out this section, 

25 including— 


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1 (A) the number of foreign persons added 

2 to or removed from the list required by sub3 section (a) during the year preceding each such 

4 report, the dates on which such persons were so 

5 added or removed, and the reasons for so add6 ing or removing such persons; and 

7 (B) an analysis that compares increases or 

8 decreases in the number of such persons added 

9 or removed year-over-year and the reasons 

10 therefor; and 

11 (2) any efforts by the President to coordinate 

12 with the governments of other countries, as appro13 priate, to impose sanctions that are similar to the 

14 sanctions imposed under this section. 

15 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT17 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com18 mittees’’ means— 

19 (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

20 Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 

21 on Homeland Security, and the Committee on 

22 the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; 

23 and 

24 (B) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

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1 mittee on Homeland Security and Govern2 mental Affairs, and the Committee on the Judi3 ciary of the Senate. 

4 (2) IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER.—The term 

5 ‘‘immediate family member’’ has the meaning given 

6 such term for purposes of section 7031(c) of division 

7 K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. 

8 SEC. 4. DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTA9 TION, GENDER IDENTITY, OR SEX CHARAC10 TERISTICS. 

11 (a) TRACKING VIOLENCE OR CRIMINALIZATION RE12 LATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDEN13 TITY.—The Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, 

14 Human Rights, and Labor shall designate a Bureau-based 

15 senior officer or officers who shall be responsible for track16 ing violence, criminalization, and restrictions on the enjoy17 ment of fundamental freedoms in foreign countries based 

18 on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, 

19 or sex characteristics. 

20 (b) ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS

21 PRACTICES.—The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is 

22 amended— 

23 (1) in section 116(d) (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d))— 

24 (A) in paragraph (11)(C), by striking 

25 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 


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1 (B) in paragraph (12)— 

2 (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

3 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; and 

4 (ii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by strik5 ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

6 and’’; and 

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

8 paragraph: 

9 ‘‘(13) wherever applicable, information relating 

10 to violence or discrimination that affects funda11 mental freedoms, including widespread or systematic 

12 violation of the freedoms of expression, association, 

13 or assembly, of individuals in foreign countries that 

14 is based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, 

15 gender identity, or sex characteristics.’’; and 

16 (2) in section 502B(b) (22 U.S.C. 2304(b)), by 

17 inserting after the ninth sentence the following new 

18 sentence: ‘‘Wherever applicable, such report shall 

19 also include information relating to violence or dis20 crimination that affects the fundamental freedoms, 

21 including widespread or systematic violation of the 

22 freedoms of expression, association, or assembly, of 

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1 tual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, 

2 or sex characteristics.’’. 

Æ 


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