I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5492
To require nationals of the United States that employ individuals in a foreign
country to provide full transparency and disclosure in all their operations.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 18, 2000
Ms. MCKINNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on International Relations
A BILL
To require nationals of the United States that employ indi-
viduals in a foreign country to provide full transparency
and disclosure in all their operations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transparency and Re-
sponsibility for United States Trade Health Act of 2000’’
or ‘‘TRUTH Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 2. TRANSPARENCY AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS
FOR UNITED STATES NATIONALS IN FOREIGN
COUNTRIES.
(a) REQUIREMENT.—A national of the United States
that employs 1 or more individuals in a foreign country,
either directly or through subsidiaries, subcontractors, af-
filiates, joint ventures, partners, or licensees (including
any security forces of the national), shall take the nec-
essary steps to provide transparency and disclosure in all
its operations, including the full public disclosure of the
following:
(1) Information relating to location, address,
and corporate name of all facilities abroad, including
such information of all subsidiaries, subcontractors,
affiliates, joint ventures, partners, suppliers, or li-
censees (including any security forces of the na-
tional).
(2) Applicable financial agreements, and invest-
ments of partners, suppliers, subsidiaries, contrac-
tors, and subcontractors of the national of the
United States (including any security forces of the
national).
(3) Worker rights practices and labor stand-
ards, including any complaints from employees and
violations of local labor laws.
(4) Age, gender, and number of employees in
each facility.
(5) Wages paid to employees, including policies
on overtime pay.
(6) Working conditions based on current stand-
ards of the Occupational Safety and Health Organi-
zation for similar operations.
(7) Programs that educate employees about
dangers and safety precautions of any chemical used
in the workplace.
(8) Environmental performance, including toxic
release inventory of all pollutants released into the
local land, water, or air and disclosure of the
amount of natural resources that are extracted,
processed, or purchased abroad.
(9) The existence of security arrangements with
state police and military forces or with third party
military or paramilitary forces.
(10) The human rights policy of the national,
any complaints received from local communities, and
any human rights lawsuits filed against the national.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) NATIONAL OF THE UNITED STATES.—The
term ‘‘national of the United States’’ means—
(A) a citizen of the United States or an
alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence
in the United States; or
(B) a corporation, partnership, or other
business association that is organized under the
laws of the United States.
(2) 
UNITED
STATES.—The 
term 
‘‘United
States’’ means the States of the United States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, and any territory or possession of the United
States.
SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—The President shall
issue such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry
out the provisions of this Act.
(b) ENFORCEMENT.—The President, with respect to
his authorities under subsection (a), shall take the nec-
essary steps to ensure compliance (including the moni-
toring of compliance) with the provisions of this Act and
any rules and regulations issued to carry out this Act.
(c) LIABILITY.—Any person who is in violation of any
provision of this Act (or any rule, regulation, license, or
order issued to carry out this Act) shall be liable for dam-
ages in a civil cause of action initiated in an appropriate
United States district court to any individual aggrieved