I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3252 
To impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violations of inter-
nationally recognized human rights against lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 13, 2019 
Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BEYER, Mr. BROWN of Mary-
land, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. 
CARBAJAL, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. 
DESAULNIER, Ms. FRANKEL, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. GRI-
JALVA, Mr. HIMES, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. KEATING, 
Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KILMER, Mr. KIND, Mr. LAN-
GEVIN, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. LOWENTHAL, 
Mr. NADLER, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MCGOV-
ERN, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. MENG, Ms. NORTON, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. 
OMAR, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. 
POCAN, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington, Mr. SOTO, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. TITUS, Mrs. TORRES 
of California, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. 
ENGEL, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, and Mrs. LOWEY) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in ad-
dition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for viola-
tions of internationally recognized human rights against 
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) 
individuals, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Global Respect Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The dignity, freedom, and equality of all 
human beings are fundamental to a thriving global 
community. 
(2) The rights to life, liberty, and security of 
the person, the right to privacy, and the right to 
freedom of expression and association are funda-
mental human rights. 
(3) An alarming trend of violence directed at 
LGBTI individuals around the world continues. 
(4) Approximately one-third of all countries 
have laws criminalizing consensual same-sex rela-
tions, and many have enacted policies or laws that 
would further target LGBTI individuals. 
(5) Every year thousands of individuals around 
the world are targeted for harassment, attack, ar-
rest, and murder on the basis of their sexual ori-
entation or gender identity. 
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(6) Those who commit crimes against LGBTI 
individuals often do so with impunity, and are not 
held accountable for their crimes. 
(7) Homophobic and transphobic statements by 
government officials in many countries in every re-
gion of the world promote negative public attitudes 
and can lead to violence toward LGBTI individuals. 
(8) In many instances police, prison, military, 
and civilian government authorities have been di-
rectly complicit in abuses aimed at LGBTI citizens, 
including arbitrary arrest, torture, and sexual abuse. 
(9) Celebrations of LGBTI individuals and 
communities, such as film festivals, Pride events, 
and demonstrations are often forced underground 
due to inaction on the part of, or harassment by, 
local law enforcement and government officials, in 
violation of freedoms of assembly and expression. 
(10) Laws criminalizing consensual same-sex 
relations severely hinder access to HIV/AIDS treat-
ment, information, and preventive measures for 
LGBTI individuals and families. 
(11) Many countries are making positive devel-
opments in the protection of the basic human rights 
of LGBTI individuals. 
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SEC. 3. SANCTIONS ON INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR 
VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AGAINST 
LGBTI PEOPLE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and biannually there-
after, the President shall transmit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a list of each foreign person the 
President determines, based on credible information, in-
cluding information obtained by other countries or by non-
governmental organizations that monitor violations of 
human rights— 
(1) is responsible for or complicit in, with re-
spect to persons based on actual or perceived sexual 
orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics— 
(A) cruel, inhuman, or degrading treat-
ment or punishment; 
(B) prolonged detention without charges 
and trial; 
(C) causing the disappearance of such per-
sons by the abduction and clandestine detention 
of such persons; or 
(D) other flagrant denial of the right to 
life, liberty, or the security of such persons; 
(2) acted as an agent of or on behalf of a for-
eign person in a matter relating to an activity de-
scribed in paragraph (1); or 
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(3) is responsible for or complicit in inciting a 
foreign person to engage in an activity described in 
paragraph (1). 
(b) FORM; UPDATES; REMOVAL.— 
(1) FORM.—The list required by subsection (a) 
shall be transmitted in unclassified form and pub-
lished in the Federal Register without regard to the 
requirements of section 222(f) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1202(f)) with respect 
to confidentiality of records pertaining to the 
issuance or refusal of visas or permits to enter the 
United States, except that the President may include 
a foreign person in a classified, unpublished annex 
to such list if the President— 
(A) determines that— 
(i) it is vital for the national security 
interests of the United States to do so; and 
(ii) the use of such annex, and the in-
clusion of such person in such annex, 
would not undermine the overall purpose of 
this section to publicly identify foreign per-
sons engaging in the conduct described in 
subsection (a) in order to increase account-
ability for such conduct; and 
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(B) not later than 15 days before including 
such person in a classified annex, provides to 
the appropriate congressional committees notice 
of, and a justification for, including or con-
tinuing to include each foreign person in such 
annex despite the existence of any publicly 
available credible information indicating that 
each such foreign person engaged in an activity 
described in subsection (a). 
(2) UPDATES.—The President shall transmit to 
the appropriate congressional committees an update 
of the list required by subsection (a) as new infor-
mation becomes available. 
(3) REMOVAL.—A foreign person may be re-
moved from the list required by subsection (a) if the 
President determines and reports to the appropriate 
congressional committees not later than 15 days be-
fore the removal of such person from such list 
that— 
(A) credible information exists that such 
person did not engage in the activity for which 
the person was included in such list; 
(B) such person has been prosecuted ap-
propriately for the activity in which such person 
engaged; or 
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(C) such person has credibly demonstrated 
a significant change in behavior, has paid an 
appropriate consequence for the activities in 
which such person engaged, and has credibly 
committed to not engage in an activity de-
scribed in subsection (a). 
(c) PUBLIC SUBMISSION
OF INFORMATION.—The 
President shall issue public guidance, including through 
United States diplomatic and consular posts, setting forth 
the manner by which the names of foreign persons that 
may meet the criteria to be included on the list required 
by subsection (a) may be submitted to the Department 
of State for evaluation. 
(d) REQUESTS FROM CHAIR AND RANKING MEMBER 
OF APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 
(1) CONSIDERATION OF INFORMATION.—In ad-
dition to the guidance issued pursuant to subsection 
(c), the President shall also consider information 
provided by the Chair or Ranking Member of each 
of the appropriate congressional committees in de-
termining whether to include a foreign person in the 
list required by subsection (a). 
(2) REQUESTS.—Not later than 120 days after 
receiving a written request from the Chair or Rank-
ing Member of one of the appropriate congressional 
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committees with respect to whether a foreign person 
meets the criteria for being included in the list re-
quired by subsection (a), the President shall trans-
mit a response to such Chair or Ranking Member, 
as the case may be, with respect to the President’s 
determination relating to such foreign person. 
(3) REMOVAL.—If the President removes from 
the list required by subsection (a) a foreign person 
that had been included in such list pursuant to a re-
quest under paragraph (2), the President shall pro-
vide to the relevant Chair or Ranking Member of 
one of the appropriate congressional committees any 
information that contributed to such decision. 
(4) FORM.—The President may transmit a re-
sponse required by paragraph (2) or paragraph (3) 
in classified form if the President determines that it 
is necessary for the national security interests of the 
United States to do so. 
(e) INADMISSIBILITY OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.— 
(1) INELIGIBILITY FOR VISAS AND ADMISSION 
TO THE UNITED STATES.—A foreign person on the 
list required by subsection (a) is— 
(A) inadmissible to the United States; 
(B) ineligible to receive a visa or other doc-
umentation to enter the United States; and 
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(C) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or 
paroled into the United States or to receive any 
other benefit under the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.). 
(2) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The issuing consular 
officer or the Secretary of State, (or a designee 
of the Secretary of State) shall, in accordance 
with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any 
visa or other entry documentation issued to a 
foreign person on the list required by subsection 
(a) regardless of when the visa or other entry 
documentation is issued. 
(B) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—A revoca-
tion under subparagraph (A) shall— 
(i) take effect immediately; and 
(ii) automatically cancel any other 
valid visa or entry documentation that is in 
the foreign person’s possession. 
(C) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall pre-
scribe such regulations as are necessary to 
carry out this subsection. 
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(D) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH INTER-
NATIONAL OBLIGATIONS.—Sanctions under this 
subsection shall not apply with respect to a for-
eign person if admitting or paroling such per-
son into the United States is necessary to per-
mit the United States to comply with the 
Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the 
United Nations, signed at Lake Success, June 
26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 
1947, between the United Nations and the 
United States, or other applicable international 
obligations. 
(3) SENSE OF CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO 
ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the President should impose additional 
targeted sanctions with respect to foreign persons on 
the list required by subsection (a) to push for ac-
countability for flagrant denials of the right to life, 
liberty, or the security of the person, through the 
use of designations and targeted sanctions provided 
for such conduct under other existing authorities. 
(4) WAIVERS IN THE INTEREST OF NATIONAL 
SECURITY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The President may 
waive the application of paragraph (1) or (2) 
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with respect to a foreign person included in the 
list required by subsection (a) if the President 
determines and transmits to the appropriate 
congressional committees notice and justifica-
tion, that such a waiver— 
(i) is necessary to permit the United 
States to comply with the Agreement be-
tween the United Nations and the United 
States of America regarding the Head-
quarters of the United Nations, signed 
June 26, 1947, and entered into force No-
vember 21, 1947, or other applicable inter-
national obligations of the United States; 
or 
(ii) is in the national security interests 
of the United States. 
(B) TIMING
OF
CERTAIN
WAIVERS.—A 
waiver pursuant to a determination under 
clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) shall be trans-
mitted not later than 15 days before the grant-
ing of such waiver. 
(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually 
thereafter, the President, acting through the Secretary of 
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State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report on— 
(1) the actions taken to carry out this section, 
including— 
(A) the number of foreign persons added 
to or removed from the list required by sub-
section (a) during the year preceding each such 
report, the dates on which such persons were so 
added or removed, and the reasons for so add-
ing or removing such persons; and 
(B) an analysis that compares increases or 
decreases in the number of such persons added 
or removed year-over-year and the reasons 
therefor; and 
(2) any efforts by the President to coordinate 
with the governments of other countries, as appro-
priate, to impose sanctions that are similar to the 
sanctions imposed under this section. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
on Homeland Security, and the Committee on 
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the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; 
and 
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Relations, the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs, and the Committee on the Judi-
ciary of the Senate. 
(2) FOREIGN PERSON.—The term ‘‘foreign per-
son’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
595.304 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
in effect on the day before the date of the enactment 
of this Act). 
(3) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 591.308 of title 
31, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the 
day before the date of the enactment of this Act). 
SEC. 4. DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTA-
TION, GENDER IDENTITY, OR SEX CHARAC-
TERISTICS. 
(a) TRACKING VIOLENCE OR CRIMINALIZATION RE-
LATED
TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION
OR GENDER IDEN-
TITY.—The Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, 
Human Rights, and Labor shall designate a Bureau-based 
senior officer or officers who shall be responsible for track-
ing violence, criminalization, and restrictions on the enjoy-
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ment of fundamental freedoms in foreign countries based 
on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, 
or sex characteristics. 
(b) ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
PRACTICES.—The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is 
amended— 
(1) in section 116(d) (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d))— 
(A) in paragraph (11)(C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 
(B) in paragraph (12)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by strik-
ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(13) wherever applicable, information relating 
to violence or discrimination that affects funda-
mental freedoms, including widespread or systematic 
violation of the freedoms of expression, association, 
or assembly, of individuals in foreign countries that 
is based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, 
gender identity, or sex characteristics.’’; and 
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(2) in section 502B(b) (22 U.S.C. 2304(b)), by 
inserting after the ninth sentence the following new 
sentence: ‘‘Wherever applicable, such report shall 
also include information relating to violence or dis-
crimination that affects the fundamental freedoms, 
including widespread or systematic violation of the 
freedoms of expression, association, or assembly, of 
individuals in foreign countries that is based on ac-
tual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, 
or sex characteristics.’’. 
Æ 
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