SPEECH Act of 2021

To require a review and controls on the export of items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Surveillance and free speech Protection Enhancement in Export controls for Censorship and Human rights Act of 2021 SPEECH Act of 2021 2. Review and controls on export of items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses (a) Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States to use export controls to the extent necessary to further the protection of internationally recognized human rights. (b) Review of items with critical capabilities To enable human rights abuses Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and as appropriate thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall conduct a review of items subject to controls for crime control reasons pursuant to section 742.7 of the Export Administration Regulations. (c) Controls In furtherance of the policy set forth in subsection (a), not later than 60 days after completing the review required by subsection (b), the Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall determine whether additional export controls are needed to protect human rights, including whether— (1) controls for crime control reasons pursuant to section 742.7 of the Export Administration Regulations should be imposed on additional items, including items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses involving— (A) censorship or social control; (B) surveillance, interception, or restriction of communications; (C) monitoring or restricting access to or use of the internet; (D) identification of individuals through facial or voice recognition or biometric indicators; or (E) DNA sequencing; or (2) end-use and end-user controls should be imposed on the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of certain items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses that are subject to the Export Administration Regulations if the person seeking to export, reexport, or transfer the item has knowledge, or the Secretary determines and so informs that person, that the end-user or ultimate consignee will use the item to enable human rights abuses. (d) Cooperation of other agencies Upon request from the Secretary, the head of a Federal agency shall provide full support and cooperation to the Secretary in carrying out this section. (e) International coordination on controls To protect human rights It shall be the policy of the United States to seek to secure the cooperation of other governments to impose export controls that are consistent, to the extent possible, with the controls imposed under this section. (f) Conforming amendment Section 1752(2)(A) of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 ( 50 U.S.C. 4811(2)(A) (1) in clause (iv), by striking ; or (2) in clause (v), by striking the period and inserting ; or (3) by adding at the end the following: (vi) serious human rights abuses. . (g) Definitions In this section: (1) End-user; knowledge; ultimate consignee The terms end-user knowledge ultimate consignee (2) Export; export administration regulations; in-country transfer; item; reexport The terms export Export Administration Regulations in-country transfer item reexport 50 U.S.C. 4801 (3) Secretary The term Secretary

Summary: Surveillance and free speech Protection Enhancement in Export controls for Censorship and Human rights Act of 2021 or the SPEECH Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Commerce to review items that are subject to export controls for reasons related to crime control and detection and determine whether additional export controls are needed to protect human rights. Currently, in support of U.S. foreign policy to promote the observance of human rights around the world, a license is required to export and reexport certain crime control and detection equipment.