I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2561 
To authorize the imposition of sanctions on officials of Brunei responsible 
for implementing the newly revised penal code, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 7, 2019 
Ms. OMAR (for herself, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. POCAN, Mr. 
ESPAILLAT, and Ms. NORTON) 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 authorize the imposition of sanctions on officials of 
Brunei responsible for implementing the newly revised 
penal code, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Brunei Human Rights 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) On May 1, 2014, the Sultan of Brunei an-
nounced that a revised penal code would take effect 
in three phases. 
(2) The penal code mandates the death penalty 
for numerous offenses, among them adultery, con-
sensual same-sex relations, blasphemy, and robbery. 
(3) The penal code also mandates flogging for 
women who have abortions, and amputation for 
theft. 
(4) The penal code further criminalizes expos-
ing Muslim children to the beliefs and practices of 
any religion other than Islam. 
(5) The revised penal code represents an as-
sault on the rights of the LGBTI community, 
women, children, and religious minorities, as well as 
on the people of Brunei as a whole. 
(6) According to the United Nations High Com-
missioner for Human Rights, the penal code intro-
duced stoning to death as the specific method of exe-
cution for adultery, consensual same-sex relations, 
and extramarital sexual relations. 
(7) On April 11, 2014, the spokesperson for the 
United Nations High Commissioner for Human 
Rights said that ‘‘Under international law, stoning 
people to death constitutes torture or other cruel, in-
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human or degrading treatment or punishment and is 
thus clearly prohibited.’’ and noted that— 
(A) ‘‘A number of UN studies have also re-
vealed that women are more likely to be sen-
tenced to death by stoning, due to deeply en-
trenched 
discrimination 
and 
stereotyping 
against them, including among law enforcement 
and judicial officers.’’; and 
(B) ‘‘The criminalization and application 
of the death penalty for consensual relations be-
tween adults in private also violates a whole 
host of rights, including the rights to privacy, 
to equality before the law, the right to health 
and freedom from arbitrary arrest and deten-
tion. The provisions of the revised penal code 
may encourage further violence and discrimina-
tion against women and also against people on 
the basis of sexual orientation.’’. 
(8) The first phase of the new penal code went 
into effect in 2014, but the final two phases were 
not enacted between 2014 and 2019 as a result of 
pressure from international and domestic human 
rights organizations. 
(9) In December 2018, the Government of 
Brunei confirmed that the final rollout of the second 
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and third phases of the penal code, including the 
provisions of capital punishment by stoning, would 
be fully implemented beginning April 3, 2019. 
(10) On April 1, 2019, a statement from the 
United Nations High Commissioner for Human 
Rights noted that the revised penal code ‘‘would en-
shrine in legislation cruel and inhuman punishments 
that seriously breach international human rights 
law’’ and stated that ‘‘Human rights and faith are 
not opposing forces – indeed, it is human interpreta-
tion that creates tensions. It is vital that the Gov-
ernment, religious authorities and a wide range of 
civil society actors work jointly to uphold human 
dignity and equality for all.’’. 
(11) Several other countries have provisions in 
their penal code similar to those described in this 
section with respect to Brunei, which also represent 
instances of grave abuses of human rights when en-
forced. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the implementation of Brunei’s draconian 
new penal code should be condemned in the strong-
est possible terms; 
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(2) the United States should reaffirm its com-
mitment to the full enjoyment of human rights by all 
people; 
(3) particular protections are needed for vulner-
able populations throughout the world, including the 
LGBTI community, women, children, and religious 
minorities; 
(4) the revised penal code in Brunei represents 
an assault on the rights of those vulnerable popu-
lations, as well as on the people of Brunei as a 
whole; 
(5) the President and Secretary of State should 
condemn in clear terms the grave breach of human 
rights represented by the new penal code; 
(6) the Government of Brunei should consider 
the potential negative impact of these new provisions 
on tourism from, and business with, countries that 
respect human rights; and 
(7) sanctions should be imposed on any official 
of any other country who implements or enforces 
provisions similar to those found in the revised penal 
code of Brunei. 
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